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A BIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE
A former member of the music faculties of New York city's Studios of Music Education, Oklahoma City University, The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts, The University of Kentucky, The University of Victoria, The University of Michigan at Interlochen and Eastern Kentucky University, Professor Thomas retired from full-time teaching in 1991. His former clarinet students occupy teaching and performing positions in Canada the US and Germany.
As a professional Clarinetist, his performing background includes solo clarinet positions with the New York Woodwind Quintet, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Summer Symphony, the Oklahoma City Symphony and the Lexington Philharmonic. Professor Thomas appeared as Soloist on the Oklahoma City Symphony International Radio Series on twenty-one occasions performing major works from the solo literature for clarinet and orchestra via the network facilities of the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Voice of America, Armed Forces Radio, The BBC, CBC and Radio Free Europe. With the Lexington Philharmonic, Mr. Thomas has appeared as guest soloist on several occasions in the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Tuthill. He has also performed as soloist in Evansville, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, Warren, Ohio, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Qualicum Beach and at the National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan.
Four composers have written works for his instrument which bear a dedication to the clarinetist: Leonard Klein, T.J. Anderson Jr., Spencer Norton and Albert Schmutz. Besides these premieres, Earl Thomas has given first radio performances of the Elie Siegmeister and Burnett Tuthill Clarinet Concerti as well as a Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra by David Ward.
Having received early instruction on clarinet from Victor Allessandro, Sr., Earl Thomas studied solfeggio and chamber music with that well-known southwestern Bandmaster through the Houston public schools. At eighteen, Thomas had to forego a scholarship from the Juilliard School of Music when he was called into WW II service. Following two years as an instructor/operator of wireless equipment, Thomas received an honorable discharge after a final eleven months of touring central Europe with the 7th Army's 20th Special Service Company.
In the fall of 1946, Thomas entered Juilliard where, as a student of the famed NBC Symphony clarinetist Augustin Duques, he began to venture into New York musical circles playing on special concerts at Columbia University for the ISCM, at the Museum of Modern Art and in Carnegie and Town Halls with the New York Wind and Brass Ensemble. While a Juilliard student, Thomas recorded on Dial, Eso-teric and Columbia Masterworks labels. He is listed as soloist in probably the first American recording of Berg's "Four Pieces for Clarinet & Piano", Op.5. With a select instrumental ensemble from the Juilliard School, Thomas participated in performances of Sir William Walton's "Facade" with Dame Edith Sitwell reading her poetry for concerts and an album for Columbia Records. He also recorded works by Webern and Varese for Dial and Esoteric (Polydor) records. His training in chamber music was extensive, and he composed short chamber works that were performed on WNYC in 1950 for the American League of Composers. Mr. Thomas also studied the clarinet privately with the famed teacher Joseph Allard. In New York in the late 1940's, Thomas studied jazz improvisation privately with Lennie Tristano and participated in jam sessions with Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, George Wallington, Max Roach, Barbara Carrol and many others from whom he endeavored to develop tasteful improvising style, ideas and execution.
When the opportunity arose to assume the post of principal clarinet of the Dallas Symphony, Earl Thomas took a leave from the Juilliard School after the summer session of 1950, and moved to Dallas where he was active in concerts of chamber music, televised serious music programs for KRLD-TV and private teaching. In the spring of 1952, Guy Fraser Harrison invited him to join the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra. In between seasons with the Dallas Symphony and Oklahoma City Symphony, Thomas performed with the Houston Summer Symphony, the New York Woodwind Quintet on two USA tours, the State Fair Musicals in Dallas' Fair Park Auditorium, the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City, the star-studded "Hadacol Caravan" and the touring Billy May Orchestra under the direction of Sam Donahue.
For three years, Thomas was elected President of the Oklahoma City Chamber Music Society. In this capacity, he organized many programs that were free to the public, including a thirteen week series for Oklahoma Educational Television station KETA-TV. He was Musical Director and Conductor of the Society's production of "The Consul" by Menotti, and served three years in the role of Assistant Conductor of the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra.
Earl Thomas helped build the first all-classical FM station in Oklahoma City, KEFM, and he was active as producer/commentator of classical music programs on KYFM, KI00-FM, KFNB-FM and the CBS affiliate in Norman, WNAD. For three years, his weekly column "Records in Review" appeared in the Oklahoma City Advertiser. At Eastern Kentucky University, Professor Thomas produced forty-three weekly radio programs that featured faculty, guests and student performances from the EKU Department of Music. "Full Score, from EKU" was carried by eleven AM radio stations throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Mr. Thomas has been active as performer and teacher on the faculties of the National Music Camp and the University of Michigan at Interlochen, the Foster Music camp at EKU, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University and the Oklahoma College for Liberal Arts. As Music Director and Conductor, Mr. Thomas led the orchestral activities of the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts-Chickasha Community Symphony from 1967 to 1969 and the EKU Symphony Orchestra from 1972 until 1981 and continued his performance practice in solo appearances, as a recitalist, adjudicator, clinician and Principal Clarinetist with the Lexington Philharmonic. He is married to violinist/pianist Janice Musgrove Thomas, a native of New Westminister and former Concertmistress of the Nanaimo Symphony, who graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1963. Mrs. Thomas performed in the first violin section of the Oklahoma City Symphony until the couple moved to Kentucky in 1969. There, she was a violinist in the Lexington Philharmonic for several seasons. Mrs. Thomas has been a teacher of piano since 1971. In October of 1995, the Thomas' moved to Nanaimo where they engaged in private teaching of Piano and Clarinet. In July, 1999, the couple built a new home in Qualicum Beach.
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