{"id":213673,"date":"2025-04-09T10:01:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T20:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=213673"},"modified":"2025-04-09T10:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T20:01:16","slug":"womack-society-for-american-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/09\/womack-society-for-american-music\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> professor, composer honored for lifelong impact on American music"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Donald Reid Womack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donald Reid Womack, department chair and professor in the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa Department of Music<\/a>, has been granted Honorary Membership by the Society for American Music at its 51st annual conference held in March 2025, in Tacoma, Washington.<\/p>\n

The Honorary Membership is among the society\u2019s highest distinctions, reserved for individuals whose career achievements have made a lasting impact on the field of American music. Womack, an award-winning and distinguished composer, was recognized alongside fellow esteemed composer William Bolcom.<\/p>\n

“The Society for American Music Honorary Membership is something of a lifetime achievement award, and I\u2019m greatly honored to be recognized,” Womack said. “I\u2019m especially happy that the intercultural work that has been such a big part of my efforts for several decades, and which is a reflection of our wonderfully diverse multi-faceted culture here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, has had a positive impact.”<\/p>\n

Womack\u2019s recognition highlights UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s role as a global hub for musical innovation and cultural exchange. Womack has been at UH<\/abbr> since 1994, and also serves as a faculty member of the Center for Japanese Studies<\/a> and the Center for Korean Studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In remarks delivered by Society for American Music President E. Douglas Bomberger, Womack was celebrated for his pioneering work in intercultural composition.<\/p>\n

“Embracing the unique geographical position and cultural traditions of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, Womack\u2019s music blends elements of the Asia-Pacific region,” Bomberger said. “A Guggenheim Fellow and two-time Fulbright recipient, he has spent extensive time in East Asia learning instrumental techniques and timbres of Korean, Chinese and Japanese music. He is in the vanguard of intercultural composition, earning a reputation as one of the leading composers of contemporary music for Korean instruments. His works have been performed and broadcast in 25 countries and recorded on more than a dozen releases.”<\/p>\n

The Department of Music is housed in UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Arts, Languages & Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Womack\u2019s recognition highlights UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s role as a global hub for musical innovation and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[1471,598,133,9],"class_list":["post-213673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-college-of-arts-languages-and-letters","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-music","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t