Himie Voxman


Himie Voxman was an American musician, teacher, university administrator, and composer known for producing many volumes of pedagogical compositions and literature for wind instruments.

Early life

Himie Voxman was born in Centerville, Iowa, on September 17, 1912, to Morris Voxman and Mollie Tzipanuk Voxman. His parents were Jewish Ukrainian immigrants who moved to the United States three years before Himie was born. Voxman was the fourth of five children, with three older siblings who were born in Ukraine. Until Voxman was in high school, spellings of the surname varied among family members, including Vocksman, Vakcman, and Vaksman.

Education and career

Voxman studied at the University of Iowa, receiving a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1933 and a master's degree in 1934. He became a faculty member at the university in 1939, and was director of the school of music from 1954 until his retirement in 1980. The Voxman Music Building at the university was named in his honor in 1995. Through his work, Voxman became one of the most well-known and respected music educators in the nation, with much of his work being published by Rubank, Inc.
Eugene Rousseau, the classical saxophonist, is one of his former students.

Affiliations and honors

Voxman served on a number of associations and boards, including:
He also received many honors throughout his career, including citations from collegiate fraternities and honors societies including Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Mu Phi Epsilon, Pi Kappa Lambda, Sigma Alpha Iota, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Lambda Upsilon, and Sigma Xi. Additionally, he received awards from the following organizations:
In 1984, he served as the woodwind judge for the final round of the Canadian National Competitive Festival of Music.
The University of Iowa School of Music's Voxman Building is named after Voxman.

Death

Voxman died on November 22, 2011, in Iowa City at the age of 99.