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February 14, 2002 JAMES HOPPER TRIBUTE CONTINUES HIS MUSICAL LEGACY 
Download photos: 500 KB In celebration of the lifelong contributions of Boise clarinetist and music teacher Jim Hopper the Treasure Valley Concert Band will dedicate two concerts to his memory, Mayor Brent Coles will proclaim March 6 "Jim Hopper Day" and a scholarship endowment will be established to continue his legacy. More than 30 clarinetists, from the local area to as far away as Las Vegas, will perform with the Treasure Valley Concert Band on 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Nampa Civic Center Auditorium and at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at the Morrison Center Main Hall. At the Feb. 27 concert, the Nampa High School Symphonic Band will also perform. Admission is free for everyone. Coles will sign a proclamation for Jim Hopper Day at a date and location to be announced later in conjunction with the mayor’s office. An endowed scholarship has been established by Hopper’s friends, former students and family to provide scholarships to Boise State University clarinet students. Information about the endowment will be available at the concerts or by contacting the Boise State University Foundation at 426-3276. Hopper, who died Dec. 28, 2001 at 78, began teaching clarinet students in Boise in 1950, in Boise public schools, with private students and as an adjunct professor at Boise State. He became a full-time faculty member at the university in 1970, retired in 1986 and continued teaching until the time of his death. Known for his playful sense of humor and youthful spirit, Hopper nurtured hundreds of students over the years, including his most famous former student, Curtis Stigers. Even students who didn’t become professional musicians benefited from his tutelage and friendship. "He had such an amazing influence on my life and the lives of many others," wrote a former student in a letter to Hopper’s family. "I never had a teacher who did more for me than he did….He watched me through all the trials of adolescence and tried to instill in me the confidence of a professional musician." As a musician, Hopper performed with the Army Air Corps Band during World War II, the Boise City Band, and as principal clarinetist with the Boise Philharmonic for 31 years. He received the first Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts in 1970 and also was awarded Boise State’s Silver Medallion for Service to the university and was an Idaho Statesman Distinguished Citizen. At the Treasure Valley Concert Band performances, themed "Homegrown Concert," the entire clarinet section will honor Hopper with a combined solo on Carl Von Weber’s "Concertino for Clarinet." The band also will premiere "San Xavier Suite" by Melvin L. Shelton, a longtime friend of Hopper’s and Boise State music professor emeritus. Also on the program will be "Third Symphony" by James Barnes, "Amazing Grace" by William Himes and "Golden Jubilee" and "Fairest of the Fair" by Sousa. The concerts are sponsored by Farmers & Merchants State Bank in cooperation with Boise State University and the Treasure Valley Concert Band. For more about the concert, call 321-2719. Media Contact: Media Contact:
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