The national music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda inducted Karel Husa as an honorary member on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, during an Ithaca College Wind Ensemble concert. As part of the concert, Husa’s new work for wind ensemble, Cheetah, was performed under Stephen Peterson’s direction. Pi Kappa Lambda exists to recognize outstanding achievement in music together with the personal qualifications pertaining to an outstanding exponent of the art.
Ithaca College’s chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, Alpha Nu, was established in 1956. Each year, the faculty who are members of the chapter meet to elect the juniors, seniors, and graduate students who are eligible for membership through their class ranking. Alpha Nu has inducted nearly 800 members over these 50 years.
The honorary members of Pi Kappa Lambda form a very distinguished group drawn from the most outstanding musicians in the world. Chapters make a nomination that is then voted on by the national board of regents. The national office then sends a regent to preside at the induction. For this induction, Robert Glidden, former president of Ohio University and former music dean at Florida State University, represented the national office.
Karel Husa, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Music, is an internationally known composer and
conductor. Husa taught at Ithaca College from 1967 to 1986 and at Cornell University from 1954 to
1992.
Photo: From left, honoree Karel Husa, Pi Kappa Lambda Alpha Nu chapter vice president Diane Birr, chapter secretary-treasurer Rebecca Jemian, Pi Kappa Lambda national regent Robert Glidden, chapter president Keith Kaiser, and School of Music dean Arthur Ostrander at the presentation ceremony.
