Dr.
James Boldin, Associate Professor of Music at the University of
Louisiana Monroe, maintains a diverse career as an educator and
performer. He currently holds the L.M. McKneely Endowed Professorship
in Humanities, and from 2011-2014 he held the Dr. William R. Hammond
Endowed Professorship in Liberal Arts.
He has performed and presented at numerous
conferences, including five International Horn Symposia, the
International Trombone Festival, the Midwest Clinic International Band
and Orchestra Conference, the Louisiana Music Educators Association
State Convention, and numerous regional horn workshops. Boldin performs
extensively with Black Bayou Brass, a resident faculty ensemble at the
University of Louisiana Monroe. As a member of this ensemble, he has
performed recitals and presented master classes throughout the region
and abroad. Recent performances include the International Women’s Brass
Conference, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion
Instructors national conference, and a series of performances and
master classes in Thailand. Boldin is proud to be a Yamaha Performing
Artist, and performs on the YHR 671 Double Horn.
An active orchestral musician, Boldin holds positions with the
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and Monroe
Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the South Arkansas
Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Lyric Opera, Opera East Texas, and with
numerous orchestras in the Midwest, including the Madison, La Crosse,
Green Bay, Manitowoc, and Oshkosh Symphony Orchestras. As a soloist, he
has performed Mozart’s Concerto for Horn, K. 447 with the ULM Chamber
Orchestra, and Paul Basler’s Missa Kenya and Songs of Faith with the
Monroe Symphony Chorus.
As an advocate for new music, Boldin has commissioned and premiered
numerous compositions for horn solo, brass trio, brass quintet, and
other chamber ensembles, including the World Premiere of Gary
Schocker’s In Arkadia for Horn and Harp at the 47th International Horn
Symposium in Los Angeles.
His debut solo recording,
Jan Koetsier: Music for Horn,
was released in 2013 on the MSR Classics Label, and has been critically
praised for “superb playing…on an extraordinarily high level of both
technique and communicative abilities.” (Fanfare Magazine). He is
the author of two books,
Solo Training for Horn and
Solo Duet Training for Horns,
published by Mountain Peak Music, and his articles and reviews have
been published in The Instrumentalist Magazine, The Horn Call: Journal
of the International Horn Society, and the National Association of
College Wind and Percussion Instructors Journal. An avid arranger, his
works have been published by Mountain Peak Music, Cimarron Music Press,
The International Horn Society, and Stainer & Bell, Ltd. In 2012
and 2015 he was awarded Career Advancement Grants from the Louisiana
Division of the Arts. He also maintains a website devoted to horn
playing and teaching at jamesboldin.com. Boldin is a member of The
College Music Society, The National Association of College Wind and
Percussion Instructors, and The International Horn Society, and
currently serves as IHS area representative for the state of Louisiana.
Boldin earned the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Music
degree from Appalachian State University. For more information on horn
study at ULM, visit the ULM Horn Studio website.
Phone: (318) 342-1591
Email: boldin@ulm.edu
About this Site
These pages are intended for current horn students as well as students interested in studying the horn at ULM.
The Department of Music at the University of Louisiana Monroe is a part of the School of Visual and Performing Arts,
and offers degrees in a wide variety of concentrations. Students
choosing horn as their major instrument can choose from numerous degree offerings.
Numerous funding opportunities are available for undergraduate
students, including talent grants and several academic scholarships.
In addition to their weekly applied lessons, horn students can expect to play in a variety of large
and small ensembles including the ULM Orchestra, ULM Wind Ensemble, ULM
Horn Choir, brass quintets, woodwind quintets, and other small chamber
groups.
Numerous other playing opportunities are also
available in and around the Monroe area. Solo opportunities
include the weekly student recital hour as well as a weekly horn studio
class. This 50 minute class serves to supplement individual
studio lessons, and allows the instructor to address specific playing
and teaching concerns within a group format.
Black Bayou Brass is the faculty brass ensemble in residence at ULM,
and offers students the opportunity to hear their instructors perform
both traditional and contemporary brass ensemble literature.
If you have any questions or would like further information on horn
study at ULM, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. I
would be happy to set up a complimentary lesson with you if you are
planning on visiting the ULM campus.
Contact Dr. Boldin
Email: boldin@ulm.edu
Office Phone: 318-342-1591