Dr. Kenneth Boulton
Interim Department Head, Associate Professor of Piano
Pottle 102
(985) 549-2184
Kenneth.Boulton@selu.edu
Grammy nominated pianist Kenneth Boulton has been
described as “dynamically charged, fiercely committed, and brilliantly virtuosic”
(Classics Today). Although his experience has touched all facets of the keyboard repertoire,
Boulton has developed a specialty in American music. His debut recordings of Elie
Siegmeister's major works for solo piano, released in 1999 on compact disc by Naxos,
garnered international critical acclaim, and led to a subsequent Naxos recording of
solo piano music by the 19th-century American composer William Mason. Boulton has
collaborated with cellist Ovidiu Marinescu on the enthusiastically received recording,
Fiesta Latina, as well as a disc of music for cello and piano by Nicolai Miaskovsky
for Cambria Master Recordings. Boulton also appeared with clarinetist Karen Dannessa
on the compact disc, American Lyrique. His recordings have been featured on Canadian
Broadcasting rporation radio broadcasts and National Public Radio’s Performance Today.
He is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Boulton’s latest
recording, Louisiana - A Pianist’s Journey, was released in 2007 on Cambria Master
Recordings and received a Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist (without
orchestra).
A seasoned performer, Kenneth Boulton has given solo and chamber music recitals in many major U.S. cities, including New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Dallas/Fort Worth, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Seattle. His international appearances have included performances at Moscow Conservatory’s Rachmaninoff Hall and Oxford University, as well as concerts in Germany and Romania. He teamed with cellist Marinescu to conduct a week-long residency at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in California. Boulton routinely appears with his wife, JoAnne Barry, in recitals and lectures of duo and duet music; together they were invited to participate in the annual Piano Four-Hand Fest, conducted by the renowned piano team of Weekley and Arganbright.
Born in Seattle, Kenneth Boulton earned his bachelor’s degree in piano from Washington
State University, where he was a student of David Yeomans. In addition, he has master’s
and doctorate degrees in piano performance from the University of Maryland at College
Park, where his teachers included Nelita True and Thomas Schumacher. He maintains
an active teaching schedule and is currently Associate Professor of Piano andInterim
Head of the Fine and Performing Arts Departmentat Southeastern Louisiana University.
Previously, he was on the faculties of Shippensburg University and West Chester University,
both in Pennsylvania, and was a member of the Master Faculty and head of the piano
department at The Wilmington Music School in Delaware. During the summer of 2003,
Boulton was invited to teach and perform at the International Summer Music Institute
at Transylvania University in Brasov, Romania. In July 2006, he served as special
guest faculty at the National Yamaha Convention in Washington, D.C. His students have
been featured performers at the New Orleans International Piano Institute, and have
garnered first prizes in such events as the DeBose National Piano Competition, Mississippi
Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, Delaware Symphony Concerto Competition, and
MTNA Young Artist Competition. In addition, Boulton is in demand for his lectures
and clinics on contemporary piano music for students.
Selected recordings may be found at the following links: