Dr. Karl Hinterbichler receives the Ken Hanlon Award from International Trombone Association

The Kenneth Hanlon Award recognizes an individual that contributes greatly to the InternationalTrombone Association (ITA) and the trombone world with a spirit of generosity and modesty that inspires. The award is given in remembrance of Kenneth Hanlon (1941-2018), a long-time trombone professor and administrator at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and past president of the ITA (2006-2008). One Award is given each year.
Karl Hinterbichler is recognized as one of the leading low brass pedagogues in the nation. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of North Texas. Additional studies were with Edward Kleinhammer retired bass trombonist of the Chicago Symphony, Dennis Smith, former principal trombonist of the Detroit Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at the Darmstadt Summer Institute for New Music in Germany and the Arnold Jacobs Masterclass at Northwestern University.
He has performed on tenor trombone, bass trombone, tenor tuba, and bass trumpet with numerous professional organizations, including the National Repertoire Orchestra, Florida Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Flint Symphony, and for fifteen seasons as Principal Trombone with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. He currently performs as Principal Trombone with Opera Southwest and with the New Mexico Brass Quintet.
Active as a writer and arranger, Dr. Hinterbichler has had numerous arrangements, articles, and editions published both in the US and in Europe. He is also an assistant editor and regular columnist for the International Trombone Society Journal and has given lectures, lessons, and master classes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Finland, Australia, Russia, and the People’s Republic of China.
At UNM, Dr. Hinterbichler teaches graduate applied music, music history, and chamber music.
As a result of a grant by the Hewlett Packard Corporation, he was recently selected to team-teach an experimental course for undergraduates combining the disciplines of music, linguistics, and writing. He has also served on the faculty for a National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar on Russian culture and the opera Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky.
UNM Faculty Take Music and Collaboration to Europe
UNM faculty members Aaron Jacobs and Tatiana Shustova traveled to the Netherlands and Finland for a week of international performances, presentations, and collaboration, including sessions at the European String Teachers Association conference in Helsinki and a chamber music performance with Finnish musicians.
Christian M. Newman Published a New Music History and Music Appreciation eBook
Christian M. Newman, a lifelong New Mexican composer, historian, and college course designer, has published the eBook, Music Essentials from the Western Classical Tradition: Middle Ages to the Present (First Edition) with Cognella Academic Publications, ©2027. Newman developed and authored this work as a music lecturer with the University of New Mexico’s department of music, and department of theatre & dance between 2016 and 2026.
UNM strings faculty sign historic agreement with Chinese Conservatory
University of New Mexico string faculty members Carmelo de los Santos, professor of violin and Christoph Wagner, assistant professor of cello and head of strings, traveled to China recently to formalize a landmark international partnership between the UNM College of Fine Arts and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (ZJCM), one of China’s leading institutions for higher music education.


