WT Scholarship Dinner Set to Honor Longtime Vocal Music Educator George Biffle

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Tickets are on sale now for a fundraising dinner helping establish a scholarship for vocal students in the name of a well-respected former music educator.

The George Biffle Memorial Scholarship dinner is set for 5 p.m. April 13 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

Tickets are $100 for general admission or $250 for Maestro-level admission, which includes a reserved ticket to a combined WT Symphony Orchestra and WT Choirs concert featuring Johannes Brahms’ “Requiem” at 7:30 p.m. April 13 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall.

Biffle was head of choral activities at WT from 1992 to 2003.

“In those 10 years, Dr. Biffle had a substantial impact on all of the students and colleagues with whom he worked,” said Matthew Oglesby, associate lecturer in voice and coordinator of vocal studies. “Whether as a mentor to the area choral directors or a trusted ear and vocal coach for numerous singers, Dr. Biffle was unmatched as a musician amongst his peers.  It was his willingness to share his gifts that endeared him to so many.”

Biffle died in December 2023 after a lifetime spent in vocal music education. In addition to his decade at WT, he also taught at Austin Middle School, Amarillo High School, Amarillo College, McMurry University and the University of Western Alabama.

The scholarship established in Biffle’s name is part of several ongoing efforts raise $2 million for vocal scholarship endowments to make the WT School of Music more competitive when recruiting promising singers.

“Our program is highly respected across the country, but without scholarship funds, it is difficult to compete with other music programs,” said Dr. Sean Pullen, professor of music and director of choral activities. “This initiative will help us recruit the best student musicians from across the country.”

The dinner will include an open bar and entertainment by Esquire Jazz. Reservations are requested by April 7. Call 806-651-2840 or email opera@wtamu.edu.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—