Professor Tim Altman has a passion for music.
He has been performing and teaching it for 30 years, including the last two decades at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
When he’s not molding students at Moore Hall, this travel enthusiast is busy adding stamps to his already colorful passport.
Next spring, Altman will combine his love for music and travel as a visiting professor at the University of Malta after being awarded a prestigious Fulbright Award.
“It is an honor to be selected,” Altman said. “The Fulbright program has a long history and it is great to be a representative of this organization. I love traveling and learning about new countries.”
Malta is a group of islands in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It is one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries, with 122 square miles and a population of 450,000.
“I knew a little about the country because my brother visited there a couple of years ago,” he said. “When I heard about the Fulbright program I did some research and Malta was one of the destinations that stood out.”
The classes at the university are taught in English. Altman will teach a jazz history course and conduct the Malta University Wind Ensemble during his four-month stay.
At UNCP, Altman is the Director of Bands, teaches trumpet and conducting and leads the UNCP Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. This fall will mark his 20th year on the faculty. He recently stepped down as department chair after serving 10 years.
Before coming to UNCP, Altman taught instrumental and general music at the elementary, middle school, high school, and university level in Virginia, Wisconsin and Kentucky. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in trumpet performance at the University of Kentucky. He also holds degrees in Music Education from Virginia Tech and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Tim’s father, Edward Altman, was a trumpet player in the Richmond symphony.
Tim Altman is an active conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and trumpet performer. He has performed at several international conferences. He is the principal trumpet for the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and the Carolina Philharmonic.
Named for the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, the program is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs whose goal is to foster international understanding through scholarly exchange. It is one of the most competitive fellowship programs in the world. Altman’s application was 35 pages long.
A glimpse at Altman’s passport reveals trips where he has performed or lectured in Italy, France, London, Europe, Mexico City, Jordan (Middle East), Puerto Rico and Austria.
This summer, he participated in a lectureship at Ludwigsburg University in southwest Germany near Stuttgart.
He leaves for Malta in February.
“I love meeting people in these countries,” he said. “That is the best part of my travels. I love learning the history and getting to know my music colleagues all over the world.
"I have no idea what to expect with the students as far as their performance level, but I am excited to take them from where they are and try to lift them up a bit more.”