Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host Denis Winter, trombone and euphonium, and Kazuo Murakami, piano, with Linda Winter, soprano, and the University of Central Arkansas’ Faculty Tuba-Euphonium Quartet in a guest recital on April 20 at 7:30 p.m. The recital will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on Ouachita’s campus. There will be a reception immediately following the recital in the Hammons Gallery to meet the artists.

Denis Winter and Kazuo Murakami will begin the recital with Claude Debussy’s “La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin” and Jacques Castérède’s “Sonatine.” Josh Bynum, OBU assistant professor of trombone and low brass, and the UCA Quartet will join them in Stuckemeyer’s arrangement of Philip Sparke’s “Song for Ina.”

After a brief intermission, Denis Winter and Kazuo Murakami will be joined by Linda Winter to perform Eric Ewazen’s “A Summer Journey (for Alison and Charles Vernon).” Murakami and Denis Winter will continue the recital with Herbert L. Clarke’s “Stars in a Velvety Sky.” They will conclude the concert with Rauch’s arrangement of Gioacchino Rossini’s “Allegro” from “William Tell Overture,” accompanied by Christian Carichner, Jeff Jarvis and Louis Young from the UCA Quartet on tuba.

Denis Winter, UCA professor of low brass, joined the faculty of UCA in 1979. He earned his bachelor of music degree from Ohio University, his master of music from the New England Conservatory of Music and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of North Texas. He performs as second trombone with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and as principal trombone with the Conway Symphony Orchestra. He has a national reputation as a euphonium soloist and formerly was a member of the United States Coast Guard Band and Symphonia, a professional tuba-euphonium ensemble which has appeared at major music conferences throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Winter has served as a soloist and adjudicator for the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium-Tuba Festival, hosted by the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, and has performed as a soloist with the Little Rock Wind Symphony. During the summer, he often serves on the faculty of the Arkansas Governor’s School and has been on the faculty for the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Winter has written articles for the Instrumentalist, the International Trombone Association and the International Tuba-Euphonium Association. He was also a contributor to the Tuba Source Book, a reference published by Indiana University Press.

Kazuo Murakami serves on the piano faculty at UCA. Before moving to Conway, he was on the faculty at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. He has performed both as a soloist and collaborative artist in recitals across the United States, Europe and Asia. Recent engagements include performances in Finland, Thailand, Germany and Singapore. Murakami received his master of music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. In addition to earning the Artist’s Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music, he has completed the coursework for the doctor of musical arts in piano performance and pedagogy degree at the University of Iowa.

Denis Winter’s wife, Linda, completed her bachelor of music degree in vocal performance and teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England (AGSM). She began her music studies at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, receiving an undergraduate award to continue her voice studies in England. She has performed with the Blossom Festival Music Program, Sussex Summer Opera, Cleveland Opera Theater, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Opera Theater. She has appeared as a soloist in oratorio, musical theatre and opera productions in England and the U.S.  She holds a master’s degree in business and works as a director at Alltel. The Winters live in Little Rock, Ark., and are the parents of four children.

The recital is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Josh Bynum at (870) 245-5144 or visit the Low Brass Studio Web site at www.obulowbrass.com