Richardson honored with lifetime achievement award, chairs Phi Beta national convention

Two Northwest Missouri State University faculty members and musicians recently hosted a national convention, where one of them was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

Dr. Jiwon Choi, the University’s Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music, and Dr. William Richardson, a professor of music, hosted the national convention for Phi Beta Fraternity, a professional organization dedicated to promoting the best in creative and performing arts.

Richardson, who was the convention chair and serves as treasurer of the Pi Epsilon Alpha chapter of Phi Beta, was elected the organization’s National Vice President of Collegiate and presented with its Rose Award, Phi Beta’s highest honor, in acknowledgment of his outstanding achievements in music.

“I joined Phi Beta in 2008 and really see tremendous value in its mission of supporting all art forms,” Richardson, said. “Jiwon and I really enjoyed co-hosting this year’s national convention, and I’m particularly honored to have been elected as a national officer. The Rose Award was icing on the cake.”

Pictured left to right, Dr. Jiwon Choi, Robert Harvey, Dr. Lydia Bechtel-Edmonson, Dr. William Richardson and Faye Schollenberger performed a recital July 31 during the Phi Beta National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. (Submitted photo)

Richardson joined the Northwest faculty in 1999 and has worked as an educator, director and performer. He directs jazz ensembles and teaches applied trumpet, among other courses, in the School of Fine and Performing Arts. He served as Northwest’s first Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professor of Music from 2018 to 2021 and was visiting professor of trumpet and Fulbright Scholar in 2010 at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. 

He also has been an active member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and serves as faculty advisor of the music fraternity’s Upsilon Chi chapter at Northwest, for which he received the national Outstanding Chapter Advisor of the Year award in 2012.

Additionally, Richardson is a longtime member of the St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra and performs with the St. Joseph Big Band and The Phil Collins Experience, a Kansas City-based tribute band that performs throughout the United States. In 2024, the Glenn Miller Birthplace Society honored him with its lifetime achievement award for his service to its historical society and annual festival honoring the legendary band leader and musician.

The convention, from July 29 through Aug. 1 in Kansas City, Missouri, featured a recital showcasing Choi on piano and Richardson on trumpet, among other musicians, performing classical and jazz music. The convention also included excursions to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, an opportunity to see live jazz at the Blue Room and business meetings.

Choi’s participation as co-host and performer was supported by funds from the Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professorship through the Northwest Foundation. Richardson’s participation as host and performer was supported by a Faculty Travel Award from Northwest’s College of Arts, Communication and Social Sciences.