Wind Ensemble Festival 2007 Clinicians

Dr. Ken Van Winkle is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Bands at New Mexico State University. He is a graduate of West Texas A & M University, the University of North Texas, and received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in trumpet from the University of Oregon. Dr. Van Winkle conducts the New Mexico State University "Symphonic Winds", co-directs the NMSU "Pride" marching band and teaches conducting. He continues to play trumpet in the NMSU faculty brass quintet and the Quintessential Brass Quintet of El Paso, Texas. Dr. Van Winkle has served two terms as the college vice president of the New Mexico Music Educators Association and is past president of the New Mexico Music Educators Association. He is active as a clinician, judge, and guest conductor throughout the United States. In 2003 New Mexico Music Educators selected Dr. Van Winkle as Music Educator of the Year. Under the leadership of Dr. Van Winkle, New Mexico State University "Symphonic Winds" has become one of the premier wind ensembles in the Southwest most recently performing at the 2004 Southwestern Divisional Biennial Convention of the College Band Directors National Association.

Stephen K. Steele has been the Director of Bands at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois since the fall of 1987. He is responsible for the administration of all band activities. In addition to his conducting and administrative responsibilities Dr. Steele also teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting, wind literature, and music education courses. Under his direction, the Illinois State University Wind Symphony has performed for state and national conventions, including the 1990 Illinois Music Educators Association Convention and American Bandmasters Association Convention and the 1993 and 2001 College Band Directors National Association Conference. Albany Records has released two compact disc recordings of the Wind Symphony; the critically acclaimed 2001 CBDNA Conference performance (TROY500); and, Songbooks (TROY600), which includes David Maslanka's Song Book for solo flute and wind ensemble and Daron Hagen's The Heart of the Stranger for baritone voice and wind ensemble. The Illinois State University Bands have traveled and performed in England and Ireland. The marching band has performed for many prestigious events including the 1998 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Before moving to Illinois in the fall of 1987, Professor Steele was the Marching Band Director and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Prior to his responsibilities at the University of Arizona he spent thirteen years as a high school band director in California, Oregon and Arizona. Dr. Steele serves as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor in Canada and through out the United States and is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, American School Band Directors Association, Illinois Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Association, Phi Mu Alpha, Pi Kappa Lambda, and holds honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

Mitchell Fennell is director of band activities, conductor of the University Wind Symphony, the University Band, and teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting, courses in wind literature and courses in music education. The University Wind Ensemble has produced five compact disc recordings featuring the music of Warren Benson, Alfred Reed, Richard Wagner, Paul Hindemith, Karel Husa, Leslie Bassett, Zdenek Lukas, Vincent Persichetti and other great composers. In addition, they have performed at music conventions and festivals in Japan, Germany, Austria and Denmark as well as for California Music Educators conferences and at numerous College Band Directors National Association Western Regional conventions. Fennell is also artistic director of the California Music Academy, a summer musical arts camp for high school students, and is active as a guest conductor and conducting mentor in Portugal, South Korea and Canada. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Long Beach State University and Doctorate of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

information coming soon