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Educated at the University of Missouri, the University of British Columbia, and the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France, Frank Townsell taught at the University of British Columbia and was most recently on the faculty of the Music Department of the City College of San Francisco.

Townsell performed at music festivals in Columbia, Missouri, and London, England. Awards included the Kansas City Music Club Award, the Vancouver Philharmonic Award, and an award from the Échanges et Bibliothèques, Paris. The Échanges - the source of funding for his stay in Paris - was headed by Mme. Gruner-Schlumberger, who introduced him to musicians Pierre Fournier, Ralph Kirkpatrick, Eugene Ormandy, Leonard Rose, Eugene Istomin, and Alexander Schneider.

Townsell researched, performed, and recorded works of African-American composers John William "Blind" Boone and Clarence Cameron White. He was most recently at work studying the music and the careers of George Bridgetower and Charles Lucien Lambert.

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Photo: Frank Townsell at Asian Art Museum, San Francisco Civic Center