James Boldin is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and currently holds the Dr. William R. Hammond Professorship in Liberal Arts. His duties at ULM include teaching applied horn and music history, and performing with Black Bayou Brass, a faculty ensemble in residence. Boldin has performed and taught extensively throughout the region and abroad, and recently presented guest recitals and master classes in Thailand at Mahidol University, Silpakorn University, and the Royal Thai Navy Music School. He has performed at the 44th International Horn Symposium and at numerous regional workshops. Recent conference presentations include clinics at the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the Louisiana Music Educators Association State Convention, and the South Central Regional Music Conference. He 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. Boldin’s primary teachers include Douglas Hill and Dr. Karen Robertson.
An active orchestral musician, he performs regularly as a member of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra (Principal horn), Rapides Symphony Orchestra (Third horn), and Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (Fourth horn). He has also performed with the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Lyric Opera, and Opera East Texas, and with numerous orchestras in Wisconsin, including the Madison, La Crosse, Green Bay, Manitowoc, and Oshkosh Symphony Orchestras. He has performed as soloist with the Monroe Symphony Chorus, the ULM Wind Ensemble, and the ULM Symphony Orchestra.
Recording credits include two CDs on the Summit Records label, Soliloquies, featuring euphonium soloist Demondrae Thurman, and Forbes Plays Koetsier, featuring tuba soloist Mike Forbes. Additional recordings include James Dick Plays Edvard Grieg, with the Texas Festival Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta, and Overtures from Overture Hall, with the Madison Symphony Orchestra conducted by John DeMain. His articles have been published in The Instrumentalist Magazine and The Horn Call: The Journal of the International Horn Society, and his musical arrangements have been published by Cimarron Music Press. In 2012 he was awarded a Career Advancement Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts. He also maintains a blog devoted to horn playing and teaching at http://hornworld.me/. Boldin is a member of The College Music Society, The National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and The International Horn Society. He currently serves as IHS area representative for the state of Louisiana.
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 both graduate and undergraduate students, including talent grants and several graduate assistantships.
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
