Richard J. Colwell is professor emeritus in the school of music at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champain. He taught music at the University of Montana, Billings (1957–61) and was chair of music education at the University of Illinois (1961–89). He also taught at the University of Northern Colorado (1989–90) and was chair of music education at Boston University (1990–93) and New England Conservatory (1993–2005). He received the Horace Porter Scholarship Award, a Fulbright scholarship, and a Guggenheim fellowship.