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Biography

 

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Hailed for his “delicate nuance and sensitivity” and “remarkable skill and musicianship,” Andrew DeBoer is the department head of Music and Theatre and associate professor of music, clarinet at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. He serves as principal clarinetist with the Fort Smith Symphony and regularly plays with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. He has also played with Arizona Opera and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and appeared as a soloist with various ensembles.

Alongside his performance career, DeBoer is passionate about teaching. Some of his students have been accepted at such prestigious schools as the Cleveland Institute of Music, Denver University, New York University, Arizona State University, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma City University, and The Ohio State University.

DeBoer has recorded several solo albums, the album Reimagined Possibilities as part of the Wind and Wood Duo, and he can be heard on the Fort Smith Symphony’s critically acclaimed 2023 album of Louis Ballard’s works and the 2018 album of Florence Price symphonies, both released on the NAXOS label. He has also been accepted to and performed at a variety of conferences both nationally and internationally.

DeBoer completed both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at Arizona State University with internationally renowned artist and teacher Robert Spring and earned a Bachelor of Music with Debra Rhodes at Hastings College.