Dr. Willis Rapp, undoubtedly one of the finest educators and musical visionaries in our region, has enjoyed an illustrious career as a professor in higher education, an author of 500+ publications, principal timpanist of the Allentown Symphony, conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra and guest conductor, recitalist and clinician. His musical journey has taken him from Pennsylvania to Louisiana to Iowa to Washington D.C. as well as to several provinces in Canada. Despite his travels, he has made...
Dr. Willis Rapp, undoubtedly one of the finest educators and musical visionaries in our region, has enjoyed an illustrious career as a professor in higher education, an author of 500+ publications, principal timpanist of the Allentown Symphony, conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra and guest conductor, recitalist and clinician. His musical journey has taken him from Pennsylvania to Louisiana to Iowa to Washington D.C. as well as to several provinces in Canada. Despite his travels, he has made eastern Pennsylvania his home and continues to have a widespread impact on the musical community here.
In 2013 Will retired from Kutztown University with the distinction of Professor Emeritus which included receiving the KU Faculty Research Award in 2007 and the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for excellence in teaching in 2009. In addition to these accolades, Will was also awarded the Percussive Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in Education Award in 2019.
Will credits his high school band director, Ronald Demkee (Associate Conductor of the Allentown Symphony), for giving he and many other students an early exposure to great band literature. Fred Hinger of the Philadelphia Orchestra was also a great influence on the trajectory of Will's career. In our interview he also acknowledges colleagues who have been great influences and inspirations such as Dr. Samuel Bellardo, a colleague at KU, who made an impression with his gifted teaching style and patience with all students.
For many, retirement is a time to relax and reap the rewards of their well-earned accomplishments. However, Will has taken on what he considers a "Legacy Project". For the past several years he has made it his mission to give the Center for Mallet Percussion Research a tangible home. Not just any home but a 13,000+ square foot building that rests on the campus of Kutztown University. This state-of-the-art construction will include a 2100 sq. ft. performance space, artifacts, music, photos and will also house over 60 vintage mallet instruments that will be available to see and even play. The Wells-Rapp Center will also feature a section honoring the women of mallet percussion.
Construction of the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research is to be completed in October of 2022 and it's grand opening will take place the first weekend in November. The grand opening will include concerts featuring the Heartland Marimba Quartet on November 5 and again on November 7 where they are featured with the Reading Pops Orchestra.
Information about the Kutztown University Foundation can be found at www.kuf.org and The Center for Mallet Percussion Research is found online at www.kucmpr.org
This podcast episode is sponsored by the Reading Musical Foundation: www.readingmusicalfoundation.org
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