WMU choirs to honor the memory of Thomas C. Hardie with concert

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University choirs will honor Thomas C. Hardie, former university choirs director, during the annual Fall Choral Showcase, set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature three of the university’s choirs—University Chorale, directed by Kimberly Dunn Adams; Collegiate Singers, directed by Ahmed Anzaldúa; and Cantus Femina, directed by Dee Gauthier. Repertoire for the concert includes works by Berger, Ramieriez, Byrd, Finney, Hogan, Stroope, Jansson, Skalovski, Brahms, and Kodály. Faculty soloist Carl Ratner will also be a featured performer.

Thomas C. Hardie

Hardie came to WMU from Texas, where he had held teaching and conducting positions at four colleges, including Texas Wesleyan and East Central State colleges. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Texas State University in 1943 and 1949, respectively, and completed all coursework for a doctoral degree at Indiana University in 1956. Hardie joined the WMU faculty in 1957 and retired in 1987 as an associate professor emeritus of music after 30 years of service to the university. He died Nov. 15, 2014, at age 93.

The Thomas C. Hardie Choral Music Scholarship fund has been established to continue his dedication to music education. The scholarship is given to a full-time graduate or undergraduate student in the choral music area, with preference to students who have a concentration in conducting. At least one scholarship is granted annually, and the recipient is selected by the choral music faculty. Contributions can be mailed to the WMU Foundation or given online at mywmu.com.

For more information about the concert, visit wmich.edu/music or call (269) 387-4667.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.