Musical Biography of
Maestro Dr. Donald L. Appert

    Donald Lawrence Appert has appeared as a guest conductor in Japan, Australia, Central America, and throughout Europe. In Italy La’ovadese wrote, “…the performance of the ‘Serenade in C Major’ of Tchaikovsky, under the exceptional direction of Appert, was in such a style that it brought out the elegance and grace of the melodic lines with Mozartian inspiration. …The L’Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto… performed the Barber ‘Adagio’ with rare effectiveness, emphasizing its intrinsically rich melody.” Giornale di Sicilla praised his interpretation of Nielsen’s First Symphony as “lyrical with an airy freshness,” and his conducting as “precise, painstakingly accurate, and diligent.” In the United States, he has appeared as a guest conductor of the Vancouver (Washington) Symphony, the University of Texas – Arlington Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Washington University Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Central Arkansas Symphony. In March 2017, Dr. Appert guest conducted the Satu-Mare Philharmonic (Romania) in a concert, which featured his Concertino for Bass Clarinet and String Orchestra.As one of only five musicians chosen, Dr. Appert received the 2015 Honored Artists of The American Prize, the Honored Artists being "...individuals who have proven themselves to be musicians of "sustained excellence" over a number of seasons as contestants in the competitions." Adding to this distinctive honor is his 2011 The American Prize in Orchestral Programming – Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for his work with the Oregon Sinfonietta. The results of The American Prize 2017 – 2018 competition show the Oregon Sinfonietta receiving an Honorable Mention for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music for their performance of Dr. Appert's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, with world-renowned violist Brett Deubner, and placing as a Finalist in the category of Orchestral Performance for their performance of Scriabin's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 29. (Both the symphony and concerto can be viewed via our Videos/Recordings page.) Another of Dr. Appert's orchestras, the Clark College Orchestra, placed as a Semi-Finalist in the Orchestral Performance category for their performance of Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique, and as a Semi-Finalist for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for their performance of Dr. Appert's Sacred Song Cycle. The American Prize honors received in 2016 for Dr. Appert and his orchestras include receiving 3rd place in Orchestral Programming for his work with the Jewish Community Orchestra, the Oregon Sinfonietta being named as a semi-finalist and the Clark College Orchestra as a finalist in Orchestral Performance, and the Clark College Orchestra receiving 2nd place for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for their performance of Ewazen's Palmetto Suite for Alto Trombone and Orchestra. Dr. Appert has received numerous previous honors from The American Prize, which include placing as a semi-finalist in Orchestral Composition – Professional Division for his Fantasy for Contrabass and Orchestra and Northwest Triptych. The Oregon Sinfonietta and the Clark College Orchestra have also received previous honors from The American Prize in Orchestral Performance.
Dr. Appert was awarded the 2015 ASCAPLUS Award in recognition of his performances in Italy and the United States. His awards in previous years were for performances in Romania, Qatar, Europe, Central America, Japan, and the United States. Dr. Appert is the recipient of the 2014 Clark County Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, and in 2009, he received the Washington Community College Humanities Association Exemplary Status Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Humanities.
As a member of ASCAP, most of Dr. Appert's compositions have been published and his works have been performed throughout the world. A recent work, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, commissioned by, and for, Jeffrey Butler of the Houston Symphony, had its world première to great applause on June 17, 2018, with Mr. Butler as soloist and the Clark College Orchestra accompanying him. Dr. Appert is currently working on a violin concerto for our concertmaster, Darrell Hunt, which will be performed next season in our November concert. Dr. Appert is also working on a piece for flute and trombone, tentatively titled Contrapunctus, commissioned by Dr. Philip Martinson, Second Trombone, Oklahoma City Philharmonic. In 2016, the world première of Dr. Appert's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra was performed by acclaimed violist Brett Deubner and the Oregon Sinfonietta. Mr. Deubner also performed Dr. Appert's Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra with the Clark College Orchestra. Internationally acclaimed bass clarinetist Rocco Parisi and his Bass Clarinet Quartet commissioned Dr. Appert's Quartetto Basso, which the quartet premièred in June 2013. Other works by Dr. Appert include Nara Variations, In the Similitude of a Dream, Thru a Glass Darkly, Elegy, and Who Shall Know? for a cappella choir. Dr. Appert's music can be heard via the Internet on his publisher's website at http://harmonicservicesgroup.com/c/donaldappert/orchworks.html. His music can also be heard on his website at http://www.maestrodonappert.com.
Dr. Appert received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Trombone from the New England Conservatory of Music, and he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Kansas. Dr. Appert has studied conducting with Riccardo Muti, Otto Werner Mueller, Maurice Abravanel, Daniel Lewis, Fredrik Fennel, George Lawner, and Richard Pittman. He was one of fourteen conductors chosen to participate in Helmuth Rilling’s Master Class at the 1992 Oregon Bach Festival. His trombone teachers include Ronald Barron, John Coffey, and Tyrone Breuninger. He has performed as a trombonist with the Kansas City Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, the Virginia Opera Orchestra, and the Springfield (Massachusetts) Symphony. In the Fall of 2018, Dr. Appert will begin his 29th year at Clark College, Vancouver, Washington, where he is a Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department, and is the Music Director and Conductor of the Clark College Orchestra. Additionally, he is the Music Director and Conductor of the Oregon Sinfonietta and the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Jewish Community Orchestra, both in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Appert lives in Vancouver, Washington with his wife Linda, a coloratura soprano and active voice teacher. They have two daughters: Laura, a violist, and Rebecca, a violinist. Both are graduates of the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music.

Music Links
Chamber Music Society of Oregon
  upcoming concert schedule
Jewish Community Orchestra

Clark College Music Department

Publishing Links
Harmonic Services Group
My publisher's website, where one can find information on parts for my compositions.