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The distinctive character of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is defined by the faculty's demonstrated capability to fulfill the values of the Teacher-Scholar Philosophy; a philosophy guided by a serious and continuing commitment to teaching, scholarship and service in the belief that scholarship complements and enriches excellence in teaching and service.
Adapted from the Teacher Scholar Philosophy of SIUE, Teacher-Scholar Philosophy Working Group, 6/2/08
| Dr. Allan B. Ho Life and Works of Dmitry Shostakovich (two books: Shostakovich Reconsidered, 1998, and The ‘Shostakovich Wars’, forthcoming, 2009) Soviet & Russian Music (book: Biographical Dictionary of Russian/Soviet Composers, 1989) Music of Women Composers (chapter in Stephen Brown’s Sense of Music, 2007) Music of Franz Liszt (various articles) |
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| Recent Honors / Awards / Recognition: | Primary Courses: | Education: M.A. (Musicology): University of Hawaii at Manoa Ph.D (Musicology): University of Kentucky |
| How does SIUE support your professional growth or activity as a Teacher-Scholar? "During my tenure at SIUE, I have been involved in a number of projects of major significance to the music world. These include rediscovering lost scores (e.g., Stenhammar’s Piano Concerto No. 1, the most important orchestral work by a Swedish composer at the turn of the last century, which was first performed again at SIUE in 1992) and being involved in world premiere recordings of the original versions of Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Such activities have brought international attention to SIUE while making music research interesting and exciting for music students. I also have been involved in what, for thirty years, has been the hottest controversy in the classical music world: the debate over the authenticity of Testimony, the posthumously published memoirs of Dmitry Shostakovich that drastically altered our understanding of the man and his music. In my two books on the composer, I vigorously defend academic integrity (thorough investigation of a topic followed by full disclosure of the facts, in proper context, and in timely fashion) while documenting how other Shostakovich 'experts' continue to withhold evidence that does not support their own view (that the memoirs are a forgery). By being a focal figure in the so-called 'Shostakovich Wars,' I have brought attention to SIUE by appearing on NPR, BBC, and CBC Radio, BBC World Report and Euro-News TV, and other media, and by being cited in major newspapers as well as on the internet. By using the 'Shostakovich Wars' as a critical thinking exercise in my courses, I also have made students aware of the need to verify whatever one reads, even from 'experts,' and to recognize and reject the 'don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t seek, don’t find' methodology practiced by some researchers." Please share how one mentor or event shaped your career decision to become a university professor."At the beginning of my doctoral studies, my mentor at the University of Kentucky told me that 'Graduate students are no more intelligent than undergraduates, just more is expected of them.' This statement was both humbling and a great motivation for me to work as hard as possible to uphold both my mentor’s high expectations as well as my own. A bit later, I began to question the value of studying music rather than something more 'important,' such as medicine. Again, my mentor reminded me that 'some people save lives, others enhance the life that is saved.' Clearly, we all have different gifts to bring to this world. Mine is teaching music and sharing it with others, with the hope of enriching a person’s life as well as that of the larger community." |
