Professor Thomas L. Read from the Music Department in the College of Arts and Sciences will be retiring and joining the ranks of the emeriti faculty at the end of the academic year.

As a teacher, he has taught all the music theory courses we offer in the Department, as well as courses in music literature, violin, chamber music, and interdisciplinary studies. For two years T. L. was the conductor of the UVM Orchestra, and his love of new music and belief in sharing that love with our students led him to direct the UVM Contemporary Ensemble for over 20 years. He has also served the Music Department in many ways - working on countless committees, listening to many hours of auditions, and even serving as Acting Chair.

Prof. Read is a noted composer, and his honors in this area include his nomination last year for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for "Piano Partita," a recording of his orchestral piece "On October Ground" on the 2004 series Masterworks of the New Era by ERM Media, the 2001 premiere of "Alcyone" (written in collaboration with author F. D. Reeve) at the Barbican Centre in London, two MacDowell Colony fellowships, and performances of his works in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, New England Conservatory of Music, Harvard, Florida State University, and the Universities of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nevada/Reno, and California/San Diego to name only a few.

In addition, he continues to be an active violinist, serving as one of the core members of the Vermont Contemporary Ensemble, as well as performing over the years with the Baltimore Symphony, the Boston Festival Arts and Handel/Haydn Society Orchestras, the Vermont Symphony, and the Saratoga Festival of Baroque Music.

In short, Prof. Thomas Lawrence Read has brought great distinction to our University through his record of teaching, research, and service.