I am delighted to say that this has been another exciting year for the International Double Reed Society. Our membership has continued to grow, currently numbering 2500. Our 16th Annual Conference in Las Vegas attracted the largest I.D.R.S. attendance in this organization's history to a unique spot on the North American continent where we heard fascinating and inspiring performances. There the membership revised our constitution to allow the election of an international representative who will encourage the trend of increasing membership outside North America.
This has been an exciting year for me personally: I have become one who performs most of the time instead of one who teaches most of the time. At one point the International Double Reed Society membership numbered high in teachers and students but low in professional performers. We have seen an exciting improvement in this balance in recent years. As President of I. D. R. S., I challenge all members who have been both full-time performers and full-time teachers to lead in helping to encourage wider communication between these worthy and noble disciplines of our Art. There is still so much to learn from each other.
(In September William Winstead became the principal bassoonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He commutes, however, to Florida State University to instruct graduate students. Ed.)