Therese Costes directs the Music Therapy Program at the University of North Dakota, an undergraduate program that she also designed. Ms. Costes instructs all courses in music therapy, and oversees clinical placements. She also currently serves as Associate Chair of the Music Department.
Ms. Costes holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performance from California State University at Sacramento, a Master of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Texas Woman’s University, and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba. Prior to her 1999 appointment, as an active clinician Ms. Costes maintained a private practice in Music Therapy in Winnipeg, Manitoba for fifteen years, where she worked with children and adults from a variety of populations, and was in much demand as a consultant and presenter. The first music therapist in the area to work in the public school system, Ms. Costes has extensive experience with students who have Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Sensory Integration Dysfunction.
A specialist in contemporary music performance, Ms. Costes has distinguished herself as a soloist and chamber musician, performing contemporary masterpieces and engaging in integrated media collaborations with poets, composers, visual artists and writers. She has presented concerts in Canada, the U.S., Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Korea, Poland, Taiwan and Ukraine. Noteworthy performances include the New York premiere of Récitations for voice and four dancers, presented at Joyce Soho Theatre on the New York new music series, Sequitur; Telling Tales, an integrated concert of new music and storytelling presented by the Winnipeg new music series Groundswell, featuring Ms. Costes, Mexican flutist Alejandro Escuer, and principal dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet; the European premiere in Amsterdam, Netherlands of Sweat and Mirror Notwithstanding, written for Ms. Costes and the Mondriaan String Kwartet by Canadian composer Michael Oesterle, with a grant from the Canada Council; Incanto, an evening of new music and magic presented by the Winnipeg new music series Groundswell, featuring Ms. Costes, and cellists Paul Marleyn (Winnipeg) and John Ehde (Denmark); and appearances on the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s annual new music festival. Since 1991 Ms. Costes has been an artistic co-director of GroundSwell, Winnipeg’s new music series. Now in it’s 16th season, GroundSwell has developed a national reputation for innovation, regularly premiering works by Canadian and international composers. Ms. Costes has been recorded by Centaur Records and the Canadian Broadcast Corporation.
Ms. Costes is a member of the American Music Therapy Association, and is the Midwest representative for the Special Target Populations Committee whose mandate is to develop web based resources and structures to support music therapists working with special target populations. This past academic year she has given presentations at the Canadian Music Therapy Association Conference, the American Music Therapy Association Midwestern Conference and the North Dakota Music Educators Association Conference.
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