Paul Leenhouts is director of Early Music Studies and the Baroque Orchestra at the University of North Texas. He holds a Soloist Diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where he was on the faculty as professor of recorder and historical development from 1993 to 2010. A founding member of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet from 1978 and from 2002 director of the contemporary music collective Blue Iguana, he is also composer, arranger and editor of numerous works for various chamber music ensembles. With his quartet he extensively toured around the globe and performed at major music festivals in Europe, the United States and Asia. Mr. Leenhouts has recorded for Decca L'Oiseau-Lyre, Channel Classics, Vanguard, Lindoro and Berlin Classics. Two L'Oiseau-Lyre recordings received the prestigious Edison Award. In 1986, he initiated the Open Holland Recorder Festival Utrecht and from 1993 he has been director of the International Baroque Institute at Longy in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His special interest in Renaissance consort repertoire led to the founding of ensemble The Royal Wind Music in 1997. He also regularly performs with contemporary and music theatre groups such as Musikfabrik, Nederlands Vocaal Laboratorium, ZT Hollandia and NT Gent. Under his guidance UNT's flagship Baroque ensemble Fantasmi has toured Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Vietnam, Taiwan and China and the Czech Republic during the past twelve years. Mr. Leenhouts has given master classes, clinics and lectures at more than 200 conservatories and universities around the world. For his international activities as a musician, conductor and organizer, he received a United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award in Hsin-Chu City, Taiwan in October 2017. In 2024 Mr. Leenhouts received a distinguished professorship award at the University of North Texas.