Harry Robert Wilson Winner 2024

Dwayne Dunn did not join a school choir until 10th grade, although he had sung in various church children’s choirs before that. His experience singing in the New Mexico All-State Choir for two years was influential in his decision to pursue a career in music education. He graduated summa cum laude from Texas Christian University and now is entering his forty-first year as a music educator and choral conductor. Along the way, he picked up graduate degrees from Texas State University (MM) and Louisiana State University (PhD).

Dwayne became the Director of Choral Activities for Lawrence High School in 2011 after holding a similar position for 11 years at Olathe East High School. Earlier he spent seven years teaching choral music in the Grand Prairie and Harlingen, Texas public schools, and served for five years on the music education faculty at the University of Arizona. In Tucson, he was the founding director of the UA Senior High Outreach Choir, which performed for the Arizona Music Educators Association in 2000 and collaborated with artists such as ANONYMOUS 4 and Paco Pena. In 2008 the Olathe East Madrigal Choir was chosen to sing at the National Biennial In-Service Conference of MENC (now NAfME) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his Kansas choirs have performed as a KMEA Honor Choir four times. Dr. Dunn has led performance tours to Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Memphis, Nashville, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Canada. In addition, he has conducted honor choirs in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas. He has served as the KMEA Northeast District Choir Chair, the KMEA All-State Choir Chair, and recently completed his term as president of the Kansas Choral Directors

Association as they navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic.

With research interests in teacher effectiveness and student conceptual transfer, Dr. Dunn has presented his research at conferences across the United States and been published in the Journal for Research in Music Education, Choral Journal, Southeastern Journal of Music Education, Update: The Applications of Research in Music Education, and was a contributor to The Choral Director’s Cookbook. He was the Olathe District nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2007-2008, and has been honored as the Outstanding High School Choral Director for the Northeast District of KMEA twice. In 2011, the Kansas Music Educators Association selected him as the Kansas Music Teacher of the Year. He enjoys mentoring student teachers, and has worked with more than 40 during his career, many of whom are successful music educators across the country. He maintains an active schedule as a teacher, researcher, choral clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor. He is proud of his family, including his wife, Dr. Cynthia Colwell Dunn (Director of Music Therapy at KU), and children Bryce (software engineer in Chicago), Cuyler (KU Journalism student), and Cassidy (KU Med-School of Nursing student), and enjoys the title of “Grandpa” for his two granddaughters, Katie and Kamryn by his daughter Danielle and son-in-law, Scott.

Harry Robert Wilson Award Nominations

Nominee Criteria: 

  • Excellence in choral music training, performance and scholarship

  • Commitment and contributions to choral music in the state of Kansas

  • Positive and supportive collegial interaction 

  • Active participation, leadership and service to KCDA 

  • Must have a minimum of 20 years in the Choral Music Profession

Selection Procedure:

  • Nominations will be solicited from the general membership of KCDA

  • Nominees must be current members of KCDA (posthumous nominations accepted)

  • Nominators must submit biographical information, a letter of nomination and may be asked to submit additional letters of support from KCDA members and/or colleagues, students and family
    The KCDA Executive Board will select the most qualified nominees which will be presented to the current full board 

  • Current members of the KCDA Full board will vote to determine the HRW Award Winner 

  • Current members of the KCDA Executive Board are ineligible for nomination

    The Harry Robert Wilson Award is presented at the Kansas Choral Directors Association Convention in Topeka, Kansas. 

    Previous Award Winners:

    2024: Dwayne Dunn

    2023: Gretchen Harrison

    2022: Greg Bontrager​

    2021: Steve Miller

    2020: Johnny Matlock

    2019: Cindy Anthony

    2018: Dr. Brad Vogel

    2017: Jane Vanderhoff

    2016: Dr. Tom Wine

    2015: Mary Bodney

    2014: John Albertson

    2013: Eugene Butler

    2012: Patrice Sollenberger

    2011: Billie Hegge-DuVal

    2010: Verne Zielke

    2009: John Buehler

    2008: Elvera Voth

    2007: Terry Barham

    2006: Pam Bushouse

    2005: Cathy Crispino

    2004: Steve Eubank

    2003: Marie Lerner-Sexton

    2002: Ken Forsyth
    2001: Marles Preheim

    2000: Texanna Ollenberger

    1999: Janeal Krehbiel

    ​1998: Jack Ballard

    1997: Jim Pauls

    1996: Vaughn Lippoldt

    1995: Carol Anderson

    1994: RodWalker

    1993: Ross Hearn

    1992: Not Awarded

    1991: Marilyn Killian

    1990: Jeff Anderson

    1989: Elmer Copley

    1988: Paul Wohlgemuth

    1987: Harold Decker

    1986: Cecil Riney

    1985: Harrison Boughton

    1984: Dan Zollars

    1983: Ken Shaheen

    1982: Wayne Holmstrom

    Elbert Fly

    Vernon Nicholson

    Bob Senner

    Forrest Davidson