Quick Navigation

News & Announcements

News and Announcements

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE:  MELVIN JAY WARNER
Sunday, May 20th, 5:00 pm
Recital Hall, NIU School of Music

Melvin Jay Warner, retired NIU School of Music clarinet professor, passed away March 5, 2012. He was 74 years old.

A special memorial tribute event hosted by family and colleagues, including some special performances, will be held on Sunday, May 20, 2012, 5:00 pm, at the NIU Music Building Recital Hall in DeKalb, IL. The event will be free and open to the public.  Friends and alumni are especially encouraged to attend.  A reception will follow immediately.

For out-of- town guests, here is a list of local hotels:

NIU Holmes Student Center Hotel (discount rate available for alumni or through a NIU faculty member).  815-753-1444

Best Western Inn, 1212 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL (1.1 miles from campus).  815-758-8661

Baymont Inn and Suites, 1314 W. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb, IL (1.2 miles from campus).  815-748-4800

Holiday Inn Express, 1935 DeKalb Ave, Sycamore, IL (3.6 miles from campus).  825-748-7400


Obituary

Mel Warner was hired as Assistant Professor in the NIU Department of Music in 1974. He taught applied clarinet and chamber music and retired as Professor in 1997 and continued to teach part-time until 2002, concluding 37 years of teaching at NIU.

Melvin Jay Warner, 74, Professor Emeritus of Clarinet and Chamber Music at Northern Illinois University, passed peacefully on March 6, 2012 at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, IL after a long battle with illness. Mr. Warner was preceded in death by his father, Melvin J. Warner Sr.; and is survived by his mother, Edith F. Kingdon; his sisters, Joan (Warner) Crooks, Lorna Kingdon, Marilee (Kingdon) Cardaras; his children, Deborah (Warner) Brooks, Gregory Warner; grandchildren Ben, Harry, Oliver, Jack, Emma, Abigail and Molly. Mr. Warner received the Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees from the University of Southern California. He taught at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego and, during the summer months, at the Hartt Summer Youth Music Camp, the Birch Creek Music Center, and Idyllwild Arts. Warner made his solo debut with the Oakland Symphony when he was 15. Other solo appearances included performances with the St. Louis Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, Orchestra of Illinois, Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Illinois Chamber Symphony. He was Associate Principal Clarinetist with the St. Louis Symphony, Principal Clarinetist with the Chicago Sinfonietta for 20 years, served many times as Principal Clarinetist with the San Diego Symphony, and often performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Active as a chamber musician, Warner was a founder of the Pacific Woodwind Quintet and the Quintetto de Camera, which won first place in the prestigious Coleman Chamber Auditions. He was also guest artist with the Arianna, Shanghai and Vermeer string quartets. He participated in summer music festivals such as the Bay Chamber Concerts in Maine, mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, and the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL. For many years, Warner was a member of Midsummer's Music chamber ensemble performing in Door County, WI each summer. In addition to solo recordings for Crystal Records, he recorded solo and chamber music with Centaur, CRI and other labels. A beloved, remarkable person and artist, Mr. Warner was a staunch devotee of all things good and fine. He revered his alma mater, USC, was a Los Angeles Laker fan, an avid golfer, tennis player, poker aficionado, and enjoyed an occasional game of darts. Blessed with a great sense of humor, Mr. Warner entertained friends and family with his buoyant spirit, inspired his students with his zeal for their development, and challenged his musical colleagues to reach for the ultimate standard in every endeavor. He enjoyed international travel, made a point of visiting every state in the US, was an inveterate bargain hunter and made convenience into an art form. Most of all, he was beautiful, capable of invention, delight and profound thought while watching South Park from his easy chair. He leaves an unfillable void. Two memorial services are planned, the first of which will be a private ceremony to be held in California close to the ocean and beach Mr. Warner loved so. A second remembrance/Celebration of Life Service will be held in DeKalb, IL on May 20. Please contact the NIU School of Music for details (815) 753-1551. In lieu of flower, contributions may be made to the Melvin Warner Music Scholarship by contacting Deana Eberly (815) 753-1551 or deberly@niu.edu at the NIU School of Music.