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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. For the 2018 – 2019 competition, Dr. Appert tied for 3rd place in The American Prize in Orchestral Programming for his work with the Jewish Community Orchestra. The Oregon Sinfonietta and the Clark College Orchestra placed as Finalists for The American Prize in Orchestral Performance, the Oregon Sinfonietta for their performance of Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 2 in G Major, "London," and the Clark College Orchestra for their performance of Milhaud's Second Symphonic Suite, Op. 57, "Proteus." The Clark College Orchestra also placed as a Finalist Honorable Mention in The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for Performance in American Music for their performance of Dr. Appert's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. Notable for the 2017 – 2018 competition, the Oregon Sinfonietta received an Honorable Mention for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for their performance of Dr. Appert's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, with world-renowned violist Brett Deubner as soloist, and also placed as a Finalist in Orchestral Performance for their performance of Scriabin's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 29. (Performances of the viola concerto and the Vaughan Williams and Scriabin symphonies may be viewed via our Videos/Recordings page.) The Clark College Orchestra placed as a Semi-Finalist in Orchestral Performance 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 three previously mentioned orchestras and Dr. Appert have received many honors from The American Prize through the years, including Dr. Appert placing as a Semi-Finalist in Orchestral Composition – Professional Division for his Fantasy for Contrabass and Orchestra and Northwest Triptych. 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. TAP Music Sales, http://www.tapmusic.com/, has agreed to publish two of Dr. Appert's most recent works: Contrapunctus (Mirrors) for Flute and Trombone, commissioned by Dr. Philip Martinson and Dr. Shelly Martinson, faculty members of Southwest Oklahoma University and members of the Oklahoma City Symphony, and Cortege for Low Brass and Percussion, commissioned by the Clark College Concert Band, Dr. Doug Harris, Director. The world première of Contrapunctus (Mirrors) will be performed during the International Trombone Festival, July 2 – 5, 2020 in Osaka, Japan. The work will be featured in the University Faculty Showcase Recital Series that focuses on new and emerging repertoire. The world première of Cortege was on June 15, 2019. Composed expressly for the Oregon Sinfonietta's concertmaster, Darrell Hunt, the world première of Dr. Appert's Violin Concerto was performed by Mr. Hunt on November 3, 2019 in the opening concert of the orchestra's 47th season. The audience's response to the concerto and Mr. Hunt's performance was fantastic. (To hear an audio recording of Mr. Hunt performing the concerto, please go to the Videos/Recordings page.) Dr. Appert's 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. 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. An early work of Dr. Appert's, Sehnsucht for Trombone and Harp (1981), was recorded earlier this year by Louis Setzer in a project of recording works for trombone and harp. The recording is scheduled to be released in December 2019. Dr. Appert's music can be heard 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. The Fall of 2019 Dr. Appert begins his 30th 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 (18th season) and the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Jewish Community Orchestra (8th season), 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
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Chamber Music Society of Oregon
upcoming concert schedule Jewish Community Orchestra Clark College Music Department |
Publishing Links
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Harmonic Services Group
My publisher's website, where one can find information on parts for my compositions. Kagarice Brass Editions www.kagarice.com - Maskil for Alto Trombone and Piano Nichols Music Company http://enspub.com/nmc.htm - Lamentation for Trombone Choir and Threnody for Trombone Choir any work of mine that was published by TAP Music Sales is now to be found at Hickeys Music at this address: https://www.hickeys.com/search.php?q=Donald+Appert |