US Navy Band Clarinetist Joins SUU Music Faculty
Published: May 27, 2021 | Author: Ashley H Palmer | Read Time: 3 minutes
The Department of Music at Southern Utah University is honored and excited to welcome Dr. Laura D. Grantier to their faculty as the new Director of Woodwinds. Dr. Grantier, a native of Natchez, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alabama, an MBA from Averett University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Catholic University of America. From 1995-2021 she was a member of the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. where she served as Principal Clarinet, Woodwind Leader, Clarinet Section Leader, and Harborwinds Clarinet Quartet Leader. She performed over 2,250 public concerts, military ceremonies, education workshops, and high-profile protocol engagements for high-ranking dignitaries, including the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, and Secretary of the Navy.
Dr. Lawrence Johnson, Chair of the Department of Music at SUU, shared, “SUU is extremely fortunate to bring on board, Dr. Laura D. Grantier, as our new Director of Woodwinds. Her knowledge and experience, including a bachelors, masters, and doctorate in clarinet performance, along with 26 years of playing in the United States Navy Band - the last several years as the principal clarinet and woodwind personnel manager, will provide her students with expert teaching and real world applications to help them excel in today's competitive market, both as teachers and performers.”
Prior to her appointment with the United States Navy Band, she was pursuing a Master of Music at the Eastman School of Music. As a student, Dr. Grantier won the University of Alabama and CUA Concerto Competitions and traveled to Guatemala and Costa Rica to perform recitals and teach masterclasses. She has performed at the Morges Music Festival in Morges, Switzerland, and with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis, Arlington, McLean, New World, Tuscaloosa Symphonies, and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Grantier said, “I am dedicated to health and fitness and enjoy spending time with family hiking and mountain biking in Utah and Colorado. I am excited to finally be in a part of the country that has brought me so much joy and peace over the last two decades. My goal in my new position at SUU is to draw from my own vast and diverse experience to prepare SUU students for an ever-evolving professional landscape with a deep appreciation and insatiable curiosity for the art of music.”
In 2012, she founded Navy Band Clarinet Day, an annual education outreach symposium for music students and clarinet enthusiasts of all abilities that provide musical enrichment and interaction with Navy Band clarinetists and guest artists representing the pinnacle of the profession from the orchestral/band and academic arenas. Now in its ninth year, the symposium is presented in person to 125 participants annually and livestreamed to 23,000 online viewers globally.
The SUU College of Performing and Visual Arts is excited for Dr. Laura D. Grantier to join the Music faculty and share her talent and love of music with her students. For more information about the Department of Music at SUU, please visit www.suu.edu/pva/music.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 26 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring nearly 800 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.Tags: Music College of Performing and Visual Arts