Barger Nominated for President-Elect of International Music Organization
calendar icon15 Mar 2016
Lincoln, NE: Following a rigorous nomination procedure and vetting process by a committee of her peers, the International Clarinet Association (ICA) announced that Dr. Diane Barger, Hixson-Lied Professor of Clarinet in the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), has been selected to compete as a candidate for the office of President-elect. Upon winning a worldwide election of the association’s membership at-large, Barger would serve six consecutive years of service in the ICA in the roles of President-elect, President, and Past-president, respectively.
The prestigious International Clarinet Association boasts a membership of nearly 4,000 clarinetists and clarinet enthusiasts from around the world. As part of its mission statement, the ICA “supports projects that will benefit clarinet performance; provides opportunities for the exchange of ideas, materials, and information among its members; fosters the composition, publication, recording, and distribution of music for the clarinet; encourages the research and manufacture of a more definitive clarinet; avoids commercialism in any form while encouraging communication and cooperation among clarinetists and the music industry; and encourages and promotes the performance and teaching of a wide variety of repertoire for the clarinet.”
Actively involved in the International Clarinet Association for 30 years, Barger currently serves as its Nebraska State Chair and has held the positions of Artistic Director of the 2012 ClarinetFest® international conference, Treasurer (2004-2010), and Coordinator of the High School Solo Competition (2001-2005). An enthusiastic and active faculty member at UNL since 1994, Barger received the 2013 Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Humanities and the 2001 College Distinguished Teaching Award. She is an internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician performing in prominent venues in Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, and throughout the United States. She is also a highly active master class clinician and adjudicator, member of UNL’s Moran Quintet, principal clarinet of Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, and an Artist/Clinician for Buffet Crampon and D’Addario Woodwinds. Barger is featured on her solo compact disc BlingBling and as Editor of 13 editions of Bellini operatic fantasies on the Potenza Music label; she can also be heard with the Moran Quintet on the Crystal Records label.
Barger’s vision for the ICA can best be summed up by her candidate statement published in the March issue of The Clarinet: “In my third decade of membership in the International Clarinet Association, I am honored to be nominated as a candidate for your President-elect. I enjoyed several years of service in ICA leadership roles that fostered me with a unique and valuable insight into our global alliance. My organizational skills and creative vision—put to the test as Artistic Director of the 2012 ClarinetFest®—along with my enthusiasm and unwavering passion for our cause establishes a firm foundation from which I would serve. I am eager to work alongside you, our Board of Directors, and our stalwart industry sponsors to ensure our continued growth by pursuing ground-breaking initiatives. Expanding our worldwide membership and discovering innovative ways to engage every one of you through online website and social media, journal content, and conference activities are critical components of my vision for our healthy and prosperous future. I would greatly appreciate your support.”
Upon hearing the news of Dr. Barger’s nomination to the presidency of ICA, John W. Richmond, Ph.D., Professor and Director of UNL’s Glenn Korff School of Music, said, “I could not be more thrilled and delighted for Dr. Barger on the news of her nomination. I’m not at all surprised, of course, because she has had such a distinguished record of accomplishment in and service to the International Clarinet Association. This certainly is a huge honor for her, but it also is one that is well deserved. The Glenn Korff School of Music celebrates Dr. Barger's presidential nomination and looks forward to the opportunity of celebrating her election. She surely will bring stellar service, visionary leadership, and principled decision-making to this prestigious organization."
Online voting is open March 15 through May 1 via the ICA website (www.clarinet.org) for members only. The winners of the election to the ICA Board of Directors will be announced during ClarinetFest® from August 3-6, 2016 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.