Photo: Dr. James Winter directs the Fresno State Brass Choir concert in Bakersfield (1957)
Sitting around the dinner table, Dr. James Winter, then professor of music at Fresno State, excitedly told his story. Having just returned from the International Horn Society annual workshop in Philadelphia, one of his former students \was participating in a master class and was playing for a room full of some of the world’s best horn players, but the instructor was harsh with his captious criticisms.
“He was a gentleman from Philadelphia who was very dogmatic about the way you have to hold the horn and everything else. The student kept pushing back and saying, ‘No, that’s not how we do it in Fresno,’” Dr. James Winter’s son, Dr. Prescott Winter, recalled.
The student, however, was able to back up the “Fresno way” with his skillful playing in front of the prestigious audience. But the master teacher continued his badgering. Finally, a senior and well-respected horn player stood up and said, “Leave him alone. He’s a fine player.”
These dinnertime stories were common in Dr. Prescott Winter’s childhood home just down the road from where Bulldog Stadium now sits. The music community often underestimated his students from humble backgrounds, but James Winter took pride in his formerly struggling students who steadily rose to be top performers as horn players in the music department and as scholars.
Born into a family where music was the essence of life, Dr. Prescott Winter witnessed firsthand the profound impact his parents, James and Pearl Winter, had on the Fresno music scene and the transformative power of education on students and the community. Arriving in Fresno in 1947, James, a French Horn player, quickly became integral to the music department at Fresno State.
His father, Winter said, would use small ensembles to teach musicianship. His exceptional teaching was recognized by the University Outstanding Professor award, and his engagement with the broader college activities—from celebrating athletic successes to interdisciplinary teaching—highlighted his dedication to enriching the Fresno State experience.
“First and foremost, he was a superb musician and a gifted teacher,” said Winter. “He was the conduit for his students at Fresno State to understand what the standards were for fine playing.”
Pearl Winter, also a gifted musician, taught cello students in their home. She joined the Fresno State College Orchestra in 1947 and played in the Fresno Philharmonic from its founding in 1954 until her passing, as well as in many other musical groups. She was heavily involved in the Valley music community, playing schools, churches and local concerts, especially chamber music with groups like the Fresno Musical Club.
In mid-life, she became fascinated with Renaissance and early Baroque music. She had a set of matched viols, a six-string instrument with frets that preceded violins, violas and cellos. She organized a performing group that toured the Valley–often in period costumes.
She believed in the power of music as a force for societal good, actively addressing injustices such as the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Her remarkable outreach skills supported those who were isolated, aiding their integration into the community.
“Their nurture of so many persons around them provided what seemed to me to be an enchanted environment, a world supporting my own growth as well as the growth of the community—particularly the many students whose lives they touched as if they were in many ways extensions of our own family,” said Winter.
Dr. Winter’s reflections on his parents’ legacy are heartwarming. He fondly recalls how their dedication to music and the community provided a supportive environment for both their family and their Fresno State family. It was this inclusive approach to music and education, he says, that helped shape the musical landscape of Fresno and its surrounding areas.
After Pearl lost her battle with cancer, James Winter set up the Pearl B. Winter Memorial Scholarship in her name for stringed instrument players. He also set up an endowed chair in her name at the Fresno Philharmonic as a way to recognize the work she had done in the music community. After James Winter passed away in 2006, Prescott set up the James H. Winter Memorial Brass Scholarship endowed fund in his father’s name and endowed his mother’s memorial scholarship – gifts that will continue to nurture music students into perpetuity.
In his own life, Dr. Winter left Fresno to attend Stanford University, where he earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in history. Immediately after college, he began his career in the intelligence business with the National Security Agency (NSA). Even with a degree from Stanford and a career on the East Coast, Fresno State has remained close to his heart, and he still visits the campus often.
His parents also instilled in him a love for music. Winter played the French Horn from elementary school through college and still practices today. He often attends performances of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where his nephew is third horn.
“Music has been a part of my life since I was born. My parents were both active musicians all their lives,” said Winter. “It connects me back to family.”
Dr. Winter’s story is a poignant reminder of the transformative power of music and education. It underscores the importance of community, the value of nurturing talent and the lasting impact of dedication and hard work.
“I think it’s essential to nurture the aspirations of these students to excel, to expand their capabilities, to let those capabilities expand to other people, to provide…beauty back to the community,” said Winter. “My parents were remarkable in helping everybody around them. Everybody within reach benefited from everything they did. Being able to capture that legacy and try to encourage, support and transform people to be able to sustain that kind of a legacy. That is my real objective here.”
The College of Arts and Humanities is honored to have Dr. Prescott Winter as a featured supporter, and we are profoundly grateful for his continued commitment to fostering musical excellence at Fresno State in his parent’s name. Through Dr. Winter’s reflections and the ongoing support of the scholarships established in his parents’ names, the spirit of music and community service continues to thrive at Fresno State.
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Chat GPT contributed to this story.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 