Neil Slater, professor of music, leads the One O'Clock Jazz Band as it performs a concert in Thailand honoring King Bhumibol Adulyadej, an accomplished jazz musician.

UNT presents honorary degree to King of Thailand in March ceremony

UNT presented King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand with an honorary doctor of music composition and performance degree on March 17 during a special ceremony in Hua Hin in Prachuabkirikan Province.

The degree recognizes the king's skill in composition and performance in all genres of music, but particularly jazz and blues. An accomplished saxophonist, pianist, clarinetist and guitarist, he has performed with such legendary musicians as Jack Teagarden, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman and Stan Getz.

As a monarch and a musician, the king has worked to link Eastern and Western music traditions and was recognized in 1964 by the Institute of Music and Arts of the city of Vienna with honorary membership in the institute. In addition, at that time, the N.O. Tonkunsler Orchestra, conducted by Heinz Wallberg, performed a special concert of the king's music at the Vienna Concert Hall. The concert included Kinari Suite, Falling Rain, Love at Sundown, March Rajanavikayathin and March Rajavallop.

During the ceremony that included the presentation of the degree, the UNT One O'Clock Jazz Band performed a private concert with the king featuring some of his jazz compositions, Love at Sundown, Friday Night Rag, Oh I Say, When and Lay Kram Goes Dixie, as well as a selection of jazz standards.

In addition, the One O'Clock Jazz Band performed a public concert March 19 in Bangkok in celebration of the king's birthday. The band also presented a daylong workshop on jazz for students studying music at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University.

BY KELLEY REESE kreese@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Maya Angelou to speak at UNT April 20
• Own a piece of UNT
• Honors Day speaker part of a tribute to UNT's 50th anniversary of desegregation
• Annual jazz festival begins today in Addison
• Faculty Senate hears faculty mentoring report
• UNT health center receives national recognition
• Major retailer touts UNT's merchandising program as one of the best in the nation
• UNT departments on the move
• Economist: Elite female college basketball players worth $300,000 a season
• Staff Council changes bylaws
• Survey shows UNT students a bit more liberal than peers

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