Professor Emeritus
Assistant Director
Coordinator of Graduate Studies
D.M.A., University of Illinois
Office: 815-753-7975
E-mail: blickhan@niu.edu
Dr. Charles T. (Tim) Blickhan joined the faculty of the School of Music in 1976 and retired in July, 2006. For twenty years he was Coordinator of the Theory & Composition Area. In 1996, he assumed the position of Coordinator of Graduate Studies, and added additional administrative duties as Assistant Director of the School of Music in 2001; he continues to serve in both capacities as a post-retirement part-time position. In 1980, he received the university’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the first non-tenured faculty member to ever be selected. He was Director of Music for First Congregational United Church of Christ in DeKalb from1993 - 2007.
A trombonist and vocalist, he received the B.S. in Education from Northeast Missouri State Teachers' College (now Truman State University) in 1967, and taught instrumental and vocal music in the public schools of several Missouri communities before entering military service. After receiving his discharge from the army, he attended the University of Illinois from 1973-76, where he earned the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition, studying primarily with Ben Johnston.
His compositions, mainly choral and instrumental chamber works, are published by several American music houses and licensed by BMI. During the decade 1979-1989 he was a member of the Neoteric Ensemble, an avant-garde performance-art collective that he co-founded with Joseph Pinzarrone. Their collaboration resulted in a number of evening-length multimedia theatre pieces that were presented in Chicago, DeKalb, and other venues.
Dr. Blickhan was made an emeritus faculty member by action of the NIU Board of Trustees in September, 2007.
Some of his choral works are available for free download on the Choral Public Domain Library.