Bruce Rouse, Rouse House Concerts, Dies in Texas

Bruce Rouse, co-founder of Rouse House Concerts, and a former Folk Alliance board member died unexpectedly on February 26, 2005. News of Bruce’s death reached many at the Folk Alliance Conference in Montréal and provoked widespread mourning among his many friends at the conference. Bruce was an avid supporter of the Folk Alliance. He attended every annual
conference from the 1997 meeting in Toronto through the 2004 meeting in San
Diego. He served as a judge for the 2004 official showcases in the
singer/songwriter category and led peer group sessions for house concert
presenters.

As a member of the Folk Alliance Board of Directors from 2000 to 2003, Bruce
advocated for the interests of house concert promoters and those of the artists
that meant so much to him. He was a dedicated Board member, bring to the table a
great heard and love of the Folk Alliance community. He was a tireless advocate
for bringing the Folk Alliance International Conference to Austin, working
closely with the Texas Music Office to help make it happen. No one was happier
than Bruce when Austin was chosen as the host city for the 2006 conference.

Bruce and his wife Liz made their mark on the Austin folk scene by hosting
concerts in their North Austin home for 14 years — hundreds of artists and
thousands of folk music fans gathered at the Rouse House Concerts, to enjoy and
celebrate music and friendships. They suspended their series in the fall when
Bruce retired from his job as a petroleum engineering researcher at the
University of Texas and the couple moved to Sun City Texas in Georgetown,
planning to soon continue the tradition of music in their new home.

[Obituary courtesy of the Folk Alliance].