The Signature Sinfonian Award

Andy Griffith, Alpha Rho (North Carolina-Chapel Hill) ’45

Andy Griffith is an award winning actor, producer, writer, director and musician best known for his starring roles on The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. He debuted on Broadway in No Time for Sergeants in 1955 with which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Since 1958, he has released 15 albums and received a Grammy Award for his 1997 release, I Love To Tell The Story. In 1999, he was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Brother Griffith passed away on July 3, 2012.

Michael J. Cesario, Xi Pi (Wisconsin-Whitewater) ’67

With Broadway, TV, and Las Vegas among his credits, Michael Cesario was honored as Professor Emeritus by New York’s Purchase College, where he was the Director of Design/Technology and Graduate Studies for Theatre and Film. Published in several texts, he has taught seminars at Dartmouth, NY School of Visual Arts/MFA, and the Julliard School. Recognized as a national leader in pageantry arts and a member of the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame, he is in demand as an adjudicator of high school bands and a consultant for drum and bugle corps.

Alvin Batiste, Mu Psi (Southern) ’73-Hon.

Alvin Batiste was a widely respected jazz clarinetist, composer and educator who played across the musical spectrum, from traditional to avant-garde styles. As an educator, he influenced several generations of performers, including Branford Marsalis, Mu Psi (Southern) ’79 and pianist Henry Butler. After his retirement, he continued to teach at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, a conservatory for young adults.

Just days after his nomination, Brother Batiste passed away on May 6, 2007 at the age of 74.

Dr. Michael Braz, Beta Tau (Miami) ’67

A 20-year faculty member at Georgia Southern University, Michael Braz is a nationally-recognized educator, composer and arranger who combines a lifelong love of music and service. His almost 40 years’ work with treble choirs has led to a variety of published works and his service to the profession includes MENC and ACDA leadership at both the state and national levels. A tireless international traveler, Dr. Braz recently completed a 9-month teaching sabbatical in England, Nepal and China. Among his many compositions are two operas: “Memoirs from the Holocaust” and “A Scholar Under Siege.”

Dr. Timothy N. Lautzenheiser, Delta Lambda (Ball State) ’66

Tim Lautzenheiser is a well-known name in the music education world as a teacher, clinician, author, composer, conductor, consultant, and, above all, a trusted friend to anyone interested in working with young people in developing a desire for excellence. Following three years in the music industry, he created Attitude Concepts, Inc., an organization designed to manage the many requests for workshops, seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of positive attitude and effective leadership training.

James K. McCully, Mu Omicron (Ouachita Baptist) ’77

For over a decade, James McCully has served as a National Endowment for the Arts On-Site Evaluator of Professional Opera and Music Theater Companies and their Young Artists Training Programs. A highly sought after opera adjudicator, he has judged numerous vocal competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, as well as the National Opera Association’s Vocal Competition. He has served as general director of the Marjorie Lawrence International Vocal Competition and as chairman of the 43rd National Opera Association Convention in Washington DC.

Dr. William C. Moffit, Beta Phi (Baldwin-Wallace) ’47

William Moffit served as the third director of the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band and was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of Band after his retirement. His “Patterns in Motion” impacted contemporary marching styles through constantly changing kaleidoscopic patterns. As a marching band arranger, his Sound Power series included 450 titles. Over a million people listened as he directed the Fanfare Trumpets at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 1986 Pan American Games.

Just days after his nomination, Brother Moffit passed away on March 5, 2008 at the age of 82.

Dr. William P. Alexander, Beta Mu (Central Methodist) ’48

William P. Alexander dedicated his life to making music accessible to students, faculty and the community. Through his permanent endowment, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania offers a series that includes performances by symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras and opera companies. He has spent his retirement writing new works for both orchestra and small ensembles. He has received 27 ASCAP awards and his compositions have been enjoyed by audiences internationally. The Dr. William P. Alexander Music Center honors his contributions to the university and his dedication to the advancement of the music.

Dr. Ray E. Cramer, Kappa Psi (Western Illinois) ’62

Ray Cramer is the former Director of Bands and chairman of the Band Department at Indiana University. He has served as president of the Indiana Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors National Association, and the American Bandmasters Association. He is currently the president of the board of The Midwest Clinic. He is in demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator internationally and has been a regular guest conductor of The Musashino Academy of Music in Tokyo.

Dr. Kenneth D. Fuchs, Beta Tau (Miami) ’75

Kenneth Fuchs is an award-winning composer who was written for orchestra, band, chorus, jazz ensemble, and various chamber ensembles. With Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson, Fuchs created three chamber musicals, The Great Nebula in Orion, A Betrothal, and Brontosaurus, which Circle Repertory Company presented in New York City. His music has performed in the United States, Europe, and Japan, and has been recorded by the American String Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic Ensembles.

Jason R. Palmer, Epsilon Rho (Northern Illinois) ’75

Jason Palmer created a symphony program in northern Illinois after a seven-year absence of any community philharmonic program. Starting from scratch, he created the Fox Valley Philharmonic, a semi-professional community orchestra, and serves as Music Director for the Fox Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he started a program called “Access to Music,” an afterschool music program run by volunteers and is run at no charge to families.

Capt. Winston E. Scott, Epsilon Iota (Florida State) ’70

Winston E. Scott is a distinguished navy pilot and NASA astronaut. He accumulated more than 5,000 hours of flight time in 20 different military and civilian aircraft and more than 200 shipboard landings. Captain Scott was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1992. Serving as a mission specialist, he logged over 24 days; including 3 spacewalks totaling over 19 hours. He is a published author, has advised elected officials on matters related to space and aeronautics and currently serves as the Dean of the College of Aeronautics at Florida Institute of Technology.

Frank Ticheli, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’09

Frank Ticheli is an award-winning and well-regarded composer, known largely for his prolific repertoire for wind ensemble. He has also composed critically acclaimed works for both orchestra and chorus. In 2006, Ticheli received the National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest for his Symphony No. 2. Ticheli is an active clinician nationally, and he teaches composition at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. He was initiated as a National Honorary at the 2009 National Convention in Orlando.

Jamey Aebersold, Gamma Tau (Indiana) ’58

Jamey Aebersold is an internationally-known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation. He has developed over 120 volumes of Play-A-Longs in book and CD formats. He has led Summer Jazz Workshops for over 40 years to improve jazz musicianship for students of all abilities. The International Association of Jazz Educators inducted Aebersold into their Hall of Fame in 1989.

Lee D. Loughnane, Kappa Phi (DePaul) ’65
James C. Pankow, Kappa Phi (DePaul) ’66
Walter J. Parazaider, Kappa Phi (DePaul) ’64

As founding members of the rock band Chicago, Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone) and Walt Parazaider (woodwinds) have been a part of the horn section of the band since its inception. Each have been writing, arranging, recording, and touring for over 40 years. Their influence has led the band to sell over 120 million albums worldwide, with 22 Gold, 18 Platinum, and 8 Multi-Platinum albums. Over the course of their career, they have charted five No. 1 albums, and have had twenty-one top ten hits.

Leonard M. Thomas, Beta Lambda (Muskingum) ’51

Leonard Thomas is a multi-talented educator and performer. He is perhaps most well-known through his 31-year association with bandleader and radio-television personality, Fred Waring, Alpha Zeta (Penn State) ’56-Hon. He became choral director for the Pennsylvanians and continued working under the Waring name for many years. He worked with William Revelli, Alpha Lambda (Illinois Wesleyan) ’35-Hon., as a primary adjudicator of the Fesitval of Music at the University of Michigan and served as keyboard editor for the Shawnee Press until his retirement in 2002.

Dr. J. Roger Breland, Iota Nu (Troy) ’62

Dr. Roger Breland was involved with internationally known contemporary Christian ensemble TRUTH as the group’s founder and director. For over 30 years, the group performed over 10,000 concerts in 27 countries and recorded 60 albums. He is the Vice President of Project Development and Executive Director of The Center for Performing Arts at the University of Mobile. He continues to travel and record with the university group The Voices of Mobile which presents 150 concerts internationally each year. In 2000, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Vic Firth, Alpha (New England Conservatory) ’50

Vic Firth is the founder of Vic Firth, Inc., a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that manufactures over 12 million sticks per year. As an accomplished percussionist, he has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for over 50 years and has written two etude books, The Solo Timpanist and The Solo Snare Drummer. In 1995, he was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame.

Brother Firth passed away on July 26, 2015.

Wayne Messmer, Alpha Lambda (Illinois Wesleyan) ’70

Known as the “Voice of Wrigley Field,” Messmer is perhaps best known for his spirited rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the field announcer at Wrigley Field. He has been the featured soloist at Chicago Cubs games since 1985. Before that time, he served as the celebrated soloist for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago White Sox. He has over 25 years of professional radio broadcasting experience, musical theater, voice-over, jingle singing, commercial work and public speaking to his credit.

Dr. James M. Simmons, Theta Rho (Memphis) ’63

Dr. James M. Simmons, a distinguished music educator, and administrator is the 10th president of Lamar University. Under his watch, the university has steadily increased its enrollment and maintained its commitment to education in the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes. He is an active solo artist, guest conductor and an advocate for the arts. At a recent award ceremony, he performed a jazz rendition of “Oklahoma” on saxophone after his keynote address. Additionally, he was the first university president to be a featured soloist at the Texas Music Educators Association conference.

Brian Stratton, Delta Omega (Southeastern Louisiana) ’79

For nearly 22 years, Brian Stratton was a member and featured soloist with the Moses Hogan Chorale and Singers. He has worked to promote the Spiritual arrangements of Mr. Hogan and other renowned composers and arrangers in workshops and seminars around the world. He has appeared at the White House on four occasions, performing for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and William Clinton. An enthusiastic promoter of music education, he devotes his time not only to music education, but enthusiastically encourages arts education for children around the nation. Brother Stratton was initiated as an honorary member at the 2010 Leadership Institute in Evansville, IN.

Thomas R. King, Xi (Kansas) ’65

Dr. Thomas King has been the faculty advisor for the Theta Tau chapter at Austin Peay State University for over 20 years, where he is Professor of Voice. He has been the Artistic Director of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria (2004-2010) and was on the faculty for 25 years. He also sang professionally as an opera singer in Germany for five years and performed over 400 times on the stages there. From 1994 to 2003 he was the Governor in Province #15 and is now the Deputy Province Governor. He was also the Chairman of the Sinfonia Foundation Grants committee for some years. King has also been active in colonizing chapters at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University and Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Carl Doubleday, Delta Iota (Western Michigan) ’65

Carl W. Doubleday has served Western Michigan University, its music program, and surrounding community for over 40 years. Among Carl’s many endeavors, he served as Director for WMU’s High School Music Camp for four decades, conceived of WMU’s School of Music newsletter and acted as its editor for 21 years, helped organize and run numerous festivals, camps, committees, cultural events, and music ensembles during his service, and in 1991 received Western Michigan’s Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the school and community. He has served the Fraternity in several capacities, including as National Vice President from 1991-1994.

Dr. Karl Paulnack, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’11

Karl Paulnack is the Director of the Music Division at the Boston Conservatory, a position he has served in since 2002. He enjoys a prolific career as both a concert pianist and educator. Karl has partnered with vocal and instrumental soloists, chamber groups, orchestras, conductors and opera companies in nearly a thousand concerts throughout the world. Karl co-chaired the highly acclaimed accompanying and coaching department of the University of Minnesota, and has served on the faculties of the Tanglewood Music Center, University of Southern California, Ithaca College and Music Academy of the West. Karl was inducted as a National Honorary at this year’s Leadership Institute.

Dr. Herbert Owen Reed, Zeta (Missouri) ‘31

Dr. Herbert Owen Reed, a 1976 retiree from Michigan State’s music faculty, has enjoyed an accomplished career as composer and educator. His published works include a variety of compositions for orchestra, band, voice, chamber, and opera ensembles, in addition to eight published books on music theory and composition. He has served in a number of music and service positions, including Chairman of Theory and Composition for the Music Teacher’s National Association. He is also the recipient of the National Arts Award from Sigma Alpha Iota and the Orpheus Award (Gamma Epsilon ’76) from Phi Mu Alpha.

Brother Reed passed away on Jan. 6, 2014.

Charles Snyder, Beta Lambda (Muskingum) ‘05

Charles R. Snyder has taught instrumental and choral music for over 45 years in his musical career. He is the founder of the Coshocton Community Choir, an ensemble celebrating its 40th year, which has also spawned associated choirs for young children. He has been in active service for a number of groups, receiving awards for his contributions to organizations such as Capitol University, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Columbus Symphony. In 2000, he received the Ovation Award from the Vocal Arts Resource Network, an award to honor those who instill in others a love of vocal music.

Gene Watts, Zeta (Missouri) ‘54

Gene Watts is the creator and a founding member of the world famous Canadian Brass musical ensemble. Even before the group’s creation, Mr. Watts enjoyed a performing career with various professional orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Since founding the Canadian Brass, the group has come to be known as the gold standard for brass ensembles, and it is the vision and talent of Watts and his fellow musicians in the ensemble that has fueled their enormous success.

Anthony J. Maiello, Delta (Ithaca College) ’62

Anthony J. Maiello has enjoyed an extensive career as a celebrated conductor, educator, and musician. He has conducted, among numerous other international engagements, the music for the Gold Medal Ceremony at the 1980 Olympics. He is the author of several books on conducting, including Conducting: A Hands-On Approach and 21st Century Band Method. He was also a driving force behind the creation of the Rho Omicron Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha in 2009, and acts as their faculty advisor.

Carlisle Floyd, Epsilon Iota (Florida State) ’57

The recipient of the 2012 Man of Music award, Floyd helped to create an American idiom in opera with international operatic standards such as Susannah and Of Men and Men. He is one of the most respected operatic composers of our time, and among the most performed composers in American opera history.

Dr. Emanuel L. Lancaster, Gamma Delta (Murray State) ’67

A musician, teacher, and businessman, Lancaster’s experience has served him well in a variety of roles. As Vice President of Alfred Publishing, Lancaster uses his music and teaching experience to direct the Alfred keyboard catalog. Before that, he taught for nearly two decades at the University of Oklahoma, where he established masters and doctoral programs in piano pedagogy. Among other positions, he has served as National Chairman of Group Piano, and National Chairman of MTNA. He has presented teaching workshops both nationally and internationally, has published numerous books and articles, and is a regular columnist for Clavier Companion magazine.

David R. Holsinger, Beta Mu (Central Methodist) ’64

Brother Holsinger is a renowned composer, whose works have received international acclaim. With a unique rhythmic style to many of his compositions, he has carved out a lasting niche in American music. He has also been awarded the prestigious Ostwald Award from the American Bandmasters Association, and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi music fraternity. Along with Brother Floyd, he was a National Honorary initiate at the 2012 National Convention.

Dr. Larry R. Parsons, Kappa Zeta (West Virginia Wesleyan) ’03

Brother Parsons has been teaching at West Virginia Wesleyan College since 1968 as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities. In 2004 he was named Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. Among his other endeavors, he is the founder of the Larry Parsons Chorale, which ahs for decades helped to cultivate professional level choral singers. He is also the co-founder of Camerata Appalachia, a touring group that brings American-style choral singing to Europe. He has also commissioned numerous new choral works and is active philanthropically on the community level.

Dr. A.G. “Mack” McGrannahan III, Gamma Delta (Murray State) ’70

Brother McGrannahan has served on the music faculty of the University of Nevada since 1975. He was director of the Lake Tahoe Music Camp, one of the most popular summer music camps on the west coast, for thirty years. He has played professionally in several show bands in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area, performing with Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Ben Vereen, Neil Sedaka, Henry Mancini, Jack Jones, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Debbie Reynolds, and others. In 2008, Dr. McGrannahan was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. He is active as an adjudicator and guest conductor throughout the United States, and is a Past President of the Nevada Music Educators Association and the Western Division of the College Band Directors National Association.

John C. Whitney, Delta (Ithaca) ’61

In addition to an extensive teaching career at various universities, Brother Whitney has presented workshops as a faculty member for American Symphony Orchestra League, and has taught conducting in Europe. He was also selected as the sole American winner of the International Competition for Conductors in Czechoslovakia. His orchestral arrangements have also been performed at the Carnegie Hall “Link-UP!” youth concerts, and more than 40 of his compositions and arrangements have been published. His own discography includes jazz recordings by The John Whitney Trio. Whitney has led numerous orchestras throughout the United States, and has performed with and/or conducted for a host of platinum artists, including Luciano Pavarotti, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Dave Samuels, Buddy DeFranco, Henry Mancini, Cab Calloway, Liberace, Doc Severinson, Phil Woods and The Irish Tenors.

Brother Whitney passed away on November 17, 2014

J. Samuel “Sam” Pilafian, Beta Tau (Miami) ’69

Brother Pilafian is an accomplished tubist, who is perhaps most well-known as the co-founder of the internationally renowned Empire Brass Quintet. He has also performed and recorded with the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Pink Floyd, and numerous other world class groups. As a solo performing artist, he has also recorded 15 CDs. He continues to play and teach, has produced and written for several prominent orchestras, and is a best-selling author of instructional texts and videos on breathing and brass playing.

Alan Bergman, Alpha Rho (North Carolina) 1943

One of the world’s most distinguished lyricists, Bergman’s works include numerous TV and film credits, many in collaboration with his wife Marilyn. His TV credits include theme songs for Maude, Good Times, Alice, Brooklyn Bridge, and In the Heat of the Night. The duo were the first lyricists ever to be nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Song (out of five nominated). He and his wife are recipients of the Academy Award for Best Song, and have been nominated several times for their work. They are also recipients of four Emmy Awards. In addition to his frequent collaborations with his wife, Bergman has worked with several renowned film composers such as Dave Grusin, Beta Chi (Colorado) ’53, John Williams, and Henry Mancini. Among his many other awards, he was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1980.

Michael Colgrass, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) 2013

Colgrass won 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Déjà vu, which was commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic. In addition, he received an Emmy Award in 1982 for a PBS documentary “Soundings: The Music of Michael Colgrass.” He has been awarded two Guggenheim Fellowships, A Rockefeller Grant, First Prize in the Barlow and Sudler International Wind Ensemble Competitions, and the 1988 Jules Leger Prize for Chamber Music. Among many other popular works, his Winds of Nagual has become a standard in the repertoire and won the National Band Association’s William D. Ravelli Memorial Composition Contest and the Sudler International Composition Competition. He has also created a method of teaching children – and teachers – how to write music, which was adopted by the Nova Scotia education system for inclusion in the junior high curriculum. These accomplishments highlight a career that has spanned decades, and has included extensive performances with many of the world’s greatest musicians and ensembles. A 2013 National Honorary member and a recipient of the Fraternity’s Orpheus Award (presented to him in 1990 by the Iota Tau Chapter at Old Dominion University), Colgrass is in demand as a speaker and presenter, both on his music teaching methods and as an inspiring instructor on creativity and performance.

George Irving Shirley, Gamma Omicron (Wayne State) 1953

George Shirley is a Grammy award winning, internationally acclaimed singer and lecturer. After teaching in the Detroit Public School System early in his career, he became the first African-American singer in the United States Army Chorus. After being discharged, he began a career with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he was the first ever African-American tenor to sing for the Met. He also toured with several other internationally acclaimed opera houses. His performance and recording career has spanned the globe, and included his 1968 Grammy award for his role (Ferrando) in the RCA recording of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. Shirley currently holds the title of Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.

Dr. John Locke, Iota Psi (Southeast Missouri State) 1976

Since 1982, Dr. Locke has served on the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) School of Music Faculty as Director of Bands, Director of Summer Music Camps, conductor of the Wind Ensemble, and conducting teacher. He is Past-President of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and of the Southern Division of College Band Directors National Association. In 2002, Locke was nominated for the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest award in the 16-campus UNC system. In 2005, Locke was elected President of the American Bandmasters Association and also received the Albert Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association. In 2009, Locke became Editor of the Journal of Band Research. At UNCG, Locke is the founder and director of the Summer Music Camp program, now the largest university music camp in America, enrolling over 1,700 students annually and served by a staff of 150 professionals. He is also the founder of the Carolina Band Festival and Conductors Conference at UNCG.

James L. Swearingen, Iota Omicron (Bowling Green State University) ’68

James Swearingen’s talents as a performer, composer/arranger and educator include a background of extensive training and experience. He has earned degrees from Bowling Green State University and The Ohio State University. In recognition of distinguished contributions, Brother Swearingen was recently named Professor Emeritus at Capital University. Before his appointment at Capital in 1987, he spent eighteen years teaching instrumental music in the public schools of central Ohio.

Brother Swearingen currently serves as a staff arranger for the famed Ohio State University Marching Band. In addition to his arranging responsibilities, Mr. Swearingen manages to be very active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and educational clinician. Appearances have included trips throughout the United States, as well as Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Norway, the Republic of China and Singapore. With over 600 published works, he has written band compositions and arrangements that reflect a variety of musical forms and styles.

He is a recipient of several ASCAP awards, named Accomplished Graduate of the Fine Arts by Bowling Green State University, a member of The American Bandmasters Association, a recipient of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Community Music Educator Award in 2002, and has received many other prestigious awards and titles.

Michael E. Leckrone, Alpha Sigma (Butler University) ’56

Michael Leckrone is the Director of the Marching Band and Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin.  A native of Indiana, Brother Leckrone received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Butler University in Indianapolis and has continued his studies at the doctoral level at Indiana University.  Before coming to Wisconsin he taught at his alma mater, where he developed one of the finest marching bands in the Midwest.  He is in constant demand as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator for concert and marching bands throughout the United States and Canada, and his experience also includes considerable professional work as an arranger, composer, and performer.

Leckrone holds memberships in numerous professional organizations, as well as such honorary fraternities as Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Beta Mu.  He is a 30-year member of ASCAP and has been elected to the American Bandmasters Association.  In 1970 he was cited as an “Outstanding Educator of America” by the Outstanding Americans Foundation, in 1973 was awarded the “Outstanding Bandmaster Award” by the Wisconsin Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, and in 1986 was presented with a Citation of Excellence by the National Band Association.  He is a recipient of the “Pat O’Dea Award,” the “Blue Line Club Distinguished Service Award,” the “Badger Basketball Boosters Distinguished Service Award,” the UW Alumni Club “Distinguished Faculty Award,” the Wisconsin Newspaper Writers “Special Edition Award,” and the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame “Good Guy” award.  Brother Leckrone was recently inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame as well as the Wisconsin Football Hall of Fame and has been commissioned a “Kentucky Colonel” by the Governor of Kentucky.  He has been honored as “Father of the Year” by the American Diabetes Association; has been cited a “Badger Legend” by the Governor of Wisconsin and was named one of 10 Madison Musical Legends by Madison Magazine as well as designated one of the Wisconsin State Journal’s “Sesquicentennial People of Note,” and was recently selected to be an honorary member of the National “W” Club.  The University of Wisconsin has also honored him with an appointment to a prestigious “John Bascom Professorship.”   In 2007 he was presented with a  “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music,  (this was only the second time this preeminent award had been conferred), and in 2010 the Wisconsin State Historical Society presented him with the “Spencer Tracy Award for Distinction in the Performing Arts”, and in 2013 the Madison Area Music Association named him the recipient of the Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award.

Micheal has composed or arranged music for numerous high school and university bands, and over 200 of his arrangements and compositions for marching band and concert band have been published.  He is also the author of two texts for use by marching band directors, a handbook for band arranging and a text dealing with popular music in the United States.  Mr. Leckrone is now entering his 50th year as director of the Wisconsin Band.

(Award Presented at the 56th National Convention in New Orleans, Louisina on July 21, 2018)

Dr. Peter Wilson, Iota (Northwestern University) ’88

Peter Wilson is an engaging and multifaceted American violinist and conductor whose musicianship has been noted as “first-class” by The Washington Post. He currently serves as Music Director of the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra and the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra. He has also guest conducted the National Symphony Orchestra as well as the National Gallery Orchestra. In addition, he has served as Music Director of the Youth Orchestras of Fairfax (TYOF) from 2010-2013.

Dr. Wilson presently serves as Concertmaster of the American Festival Pops Orchestra, conducted by Professor Anthony Maiello. He also is a member of the President’s Own United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C., serving as the violinist of The White House and String Section Commander. An active chamber musician, concertmaster, recording artist, and performance clinician throughout the United States, he holds music degrees from Northwestern University and The Catholic University of America where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.

Dr. Wilson began his professional career as Concertmaster of the Walt Disney World Orchestra. He is in great demand for his skills and versatility, commanding respect in genres ranging from classical and jazz to country, folk, and pop/rock. He has appeared as a violin soloist with such renowned artists as Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Renée Fleming, Bernadette Peters, Randy Travis, Chely Wright, and Trisha Yearwood. He has performed chamber music in concert with Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Peter Wiley. In 2001, he soloed at the personal invitation of former Defense Secretary William Cohen for a private book-signing event honoring Quincy Jones and the release of his autobiography “Q.” In addition, he has soloed in many unique venues including the Presidential Retreat at Camp David, the Vatican before Pope John Paul II, the American Embassy in Paris, and Chicago’s Comiskey Park, where he performed his arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner to open a Major League Baseball game. He also performed the arrangement to kick off the 2009 Leukemia Ball in Washington, DC. As a studio musician, he has recorded countless jingles and has soloed on many albums including Eddie From Ohio’s “IRODEFIDOHOME.” In addition, he has performed with orchestras backing up such legends as Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Josh Groban, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Johnny Mathis, and Joni Mitchell, as well as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in their Zeppelin UnLEDed World Tour. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra of Washington, DC, has served as a concertmaster for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and recently appeared on HBO as a member of the orchestra that supported the “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which kicked off the Inaugural week of President Barack Obama. Most recently, Dr. Wilson performed with Stevie Wonder in a 21-piece orchestra at the Library of Congress in the World Premiere of Mr. Wonder’s “Sketches of a Life.”

Dr. Wilson has appeared in international magazines to include The Strad, which – following a performance of the Barber Violin Concerto – stated, “Wilson’s performance stressed the warmth and romanticism of the music… [His] technical skills brought a sparkle to the Moto Perpetuo and overall, [Wilson] made music that had the stamp of quality.” The Washington Post has further observed his “pristine melodic lines” and “showering virtuosity.” Dr. Wilson has performed such acclaimed works as John Corigliano’s “The Red Violin: Chaccone for Violin and Orchestra,” after which he was praised by the award-winning composer: “[Wilson’s] beautiful performance of my Chaconne…how gorgeous it was…and so true to the piece.” Following a performance of the violin solo to Theme from “Schindler’s List” under the baton of composer John Williams at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Washington Post singled out Dr. Wilson for his “impassioned violin solo.”

Dr. Wilson is a founding member of the highly acclaimed string duo, Bridging the Gap®, in which he performs with double bassist Aaron Clay. Hailed by The Washington Post for “superior arrangements and uncommon musicianship,” the unique duo performs works covering a wide range of musical styles in venues from private homes and schools to concert halls and stadiums. They released their first CD in 2003 and have become frequent guests of the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2004, Wilson and Clay were honored by their home state when each received the Music Award by the Arts and Humanities Commission of Fairmont, West Virginia in recognition of their “outstanding leadership and devotion to the enhancement of the arts.”

Ellis Marsalis, Jr., Delta Epsilon (The University of Louisiana at Lafayette) ’65

Ellis Marsalis is regarded by many as the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans. Born on November 14, 1934, his formal music studies began at age eleven at the Xavier University junior school of music. After high school, Marsalis enrolled in Dillard University (New Orleans, LA) as a clarinet major. He graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. Marsalis spent the next year working as an assistant manager in his fathers motel business.

The following year, Marsalis joined the U.S. Marine Corps. While stationed in southern California he honed his pianist skills as a member of the Corps Four, a Marines jazz quartet that performed on television (“Dress Blues,” named for the formal Marine Corps uniform and broadcast on CBS) and radio shows (“Leatherneck Songbook”). Both shows were used to boost recruiting efforts. After completing his Marine Corps duty, Marsalis returned to New Orleans and married Dolores Ferdinand, a New Orleanian, who bore him six sons; Branford, Wynton, Ellis III, Delfeayo, Mboya, and Jason.

In 1964 Marsalis, his wife Dolores and, at the time, four sons, moved to the small rural town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where he spent two years as a school band and choral director at Carver high school. Returning to New Orleans in 1966, he began freelancing on the local music scene. Between 1966 and 1974 Marsalis would perform at the Playboy Club (New Orleans), Al Hirt nightclub, Lu and Charlie’s nightclub, Storyville nightclub Crazy Shirley’s as well as again enter the teaching profession, in 1967, as an adjunct professor of African American Music at Xavier University (New Orleans, LA).

As the family continued to grow, Marsalis continued his educational pursuits, attending Loyola University’s (New Orleans, LA) Masters Degree program in the early summer session of 1974. He would also successfully interview for a teaching position at a new Magnet high school for the arts, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), and be hired as an instructor for the Fall semester (1974). Marsalis would spend the next twelve years at NOCCA as an instrumental music teacher with a Jazz studies emphasis.

In 1986, Marsalis accepted a teaching position out of state. He became a Commonwealth Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Virginia), serving as coordinator of Jazz Studies two of his three years there. In 1989, he returned to New Orleans to become the first occupant and Director of the Coca-Cola Endowed Chair of Jazz Studies at the University of New Orleans. During his tenure at UNO, he helped colleague Charles Blancq develop a campus performance center called the Sand Bar. Marsalis would also develop a Jazz Orchestra, which he took, on the eve of his retirement, on a tour of Brazil. On August 10, 2001, Marsalis officially retired from the University of New Orleans after twelve years of dedicated service. His retirement was celebrated by a very rare performance of Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis at the UNO arena.

Marsalis is the recipient of Honorary Doctorate degrees from his alma mater Dillard University, New Orleans, LA (1989); Ball State University, Muncie, IN (1997); Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (2010); Tulane University, New Orleans, LA; and The Juilliard School, New York, NY. In 2011, Marsalis and his family were awarded the highest honor in Jazz, NEA Jazz Masters, the first group award ever distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Marsalis has appeared on NBC’s Today show with host Bryant Gumbel; the Tonite show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno; the Arsenio Hall show with pianist Marcus Roberts; the Charlie Rose show; Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood; ABC’s Good Morning America with Spencer Christian, as well as several local and regional television shows. In 1984 Marsalis and New Orleans singer/actress Joanne “Lady BJ” Creighton shared honors at the Ace Awards ceremony for the best single music program on cable television.

Gordon L. Goodwin, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’15

Even for a successful composer and arranger in Hollywood, Gordon Goodwin’s numbers are impressive: A 2006 GRAMMY Award for his Instrumental Arrangement of “Incredits” from the Pixar film The Incredibles, three Emmy Awards, and thirteen GRAMMY nominations.

Here’s another impressive number to add to the list: eighteen. As in the number of musicians in Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, one of the most exciting large jazz ensembles on the planet. Populated by L.A.’s finest players, the Big Phat Band takes the big band tradition into the new millennium with a contemporary, highly original sound featuring Goodwin’s witty, intricate, and hard-swinging compositions in a veritable grab bag of styles: swing, Latin, blues, classical, rock and more.

Goodwin’s ability to combine jazz excellence with any musical style makes his writing appealing to fans across the spectrum. That’s why both beboppers and headbangers dig Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.

A keyboardist and woodwind player, Goodwin has built a larger-than-life reputation throughout the music industry for his composing, arranging and playing skills. Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, Johnny Mathis, Toni Braxton, John Williams, Natalie Cole, David Foster, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Brian McKnight and Quincy Jones are just a few of the artists with whom he has worked. Goodwin has also conducted world-renowned symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Seattle, Toronto, and London.

Goodwin’s cinematic scoring and orchestration craft can be heard in films such as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Escape to Witch Mountain, Get Smart, Glory Road, National Treasure, The Incredibles, Remember The Titans, Armageddon, The Majestic, Con Air, Gone In 60 Seconds, Enemy of the State, Star Trek Nemesis and even the classic cult film Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes. Goodwin’s soundtrack to Looney Tunes’ Bah HumDuck! – a wacky Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck riff on the classic A Christmas Carol – also features the Big Phat Band’s patented sound.

Wayne Bergeron, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’15

Wayne Bergeron is enjoying a career as one of the most sought-after musicians in the world. Studio sessions, film dates, international touring, jazz concerts, guest appearances, and clinics keep him busy not only in his hometown of Los Angeles but worldwide. Brother Bergeron first caught the ear of many when he landed the lead trumpet chair with Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1986. He can be heard on Maynard’s recordings of “Body and Soul,” “Big Bop Nouveau,” “Brass Attitude,” and “The One and Only Maynard Ferguson.” Bergeron demonstrates daily why Maynard remarked, “Wayne is the most musical lead trumpet player I’ve had on my band.”

As a sideman, Bergeron’s list of recording credits reads like a who’s who in contemporary jazz and pop, running the stylistic gamut from Ray Charles to Green Day. Other names include Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, The Dirty Loops, Seth MacFarlane, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Seal, Diana Krall, Tito Puente, Christina Aguilera, Dianne Reeves, Michael Bolton, Earth Wind & Fire, The Pussy Cat Dolls, My Chemical Romance, The Mars Volta, INXS, Chicago, Rosemary Cloony, Diane Schuur, Barry Manilow, Lee Ann Womack, Lou Rawls, Eric Marienthal, Kenny G., and David Benoit.

Bergeron has worked on over 400 TV & motion picture soundtracks. A partial list of film credits include Moana, Frozen, Bridge of Spies, Get On Up, Toy Story 3, Monsters University, Planes, Despicable Me 1 & 2, Cars 2, Charlie St. Cloud, High School Musical 3, Pink Panther 2, Marley & Me, Get Smart, Superman Returns, The Simpson’s Movie, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Mission Impossible 3, Ice Age 2, Spiderman 1 & 2, Team America, Catch Me if You Can, and South Park.

 Bergeron’s featured trumpet solos can be heard on the motion pictures La La Land, Rough Night, Ted 2, Minions, Jersey Boys, The Incredibles, Rocky Balboa, The Green Hornet, The Interview, Smurfs 2, Despicable Me 2, Duplicity, Leather Heads, Princess & the Frog, The Perfect Game, High Crimes, Rounders, Fled, Hey Arnold (the movie), The Life Aquatic, The Rat Pack, Child Star, Illegal Tender, Aladdin King of Thieves, Foolproof, and Two Days in the Valley.

His passion for big bands has led to his inclusion in some of Los Angeles’ most well-respected bands. He has recorded and played with Quincy Jones, Gordon Goodwin, Arturo Sandoval, Pat Williams, Sammy Nestico, Jack Sheldon, Chris Walden, Tom Kubis, John La Barbara, Bob Florence, Ray Anthony, Bill Watrous, Bob Curnow, and more recently Vince Mendoza’s re-creation of the Gil Evans/Miles Davis recordings featuring Terance Blanchard and Sean Jones.

Bergeron is also a National Artist for the Yamaha Corporation of America.

Grammy-winning composer and bandleader, Gordon Goodwin said it best, “Wayne is a once in a lifetime lead trumpet player.”

Richard A. Crosby, Eta-Omicron (University of Cincinnati) ’75

Brother Crosby was born in Ashland, OH, and raised in Largo, FL. He holds the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Wind Conducting, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance, all from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has been at Eastern Kentucky University since 1986 where he teaches piano and music history.

He has released a CD through Capstone Records entitled An American Portrait, containing works by Charles Griffes, Amy Beach, William Grant Still, Lee Hoiby, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, David Guion, and George Gershwin. Richard has also distinguished himself as a successful composer. Brother Crosby, as the Province Governor for Province 25, is currently the longest-tenured Governor in Sinfonia’s service. He is also Sinfonia’s second-longest-tenured National President, having served three triennial terms for a total of nine years.

William “Ted” McDaniel, Iota Gamma (University of Iowa) ’73

Dr. Ted McDaniel, Professor of African American Music at The Ohio State University since 1981, is a specialist in jazz history, jazz performance, and African American music; he retired from OSU after teaching there for 35 years on June 1, 2015. He held faculty appointments in the School of Music and the Department of African American and African Studies, where he served as Department Chair for eight years. His scholarly and creative writings were mostly on aspects of jazz and black music, and he was invited to lecture extensively throughout the United States and to present in Africa, Europe, and China.

He was Director of Jazz Studies since 1983 and directed the OSU Jazz Ensemble from 1990–2015. His leadership of the OSU Jazz Ensemble led to performances throughout Ohio and the United States. They also took five international tours: European tours to France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, where they performed at the leading jazz festivals and other sites; Canada tour to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia; and most recently in 2014 to China for a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour with performances in Beijing, Xinxiang, Wuhan and Shanghai through the Center for American Culture. Additionally, he led the administrative team for the annual OSU Jazz Festival, annual OSU Summer Jazz Camp and the occasional Jazz Symposium.

His numerous music arrangements represent a diverse portfolio but are primarily for jazz bands, R & B groups, and marching bands. He has written music for the Sesame Street TV show and has served as an arranger for the OSU Marching Band since 1981, where his music has been performed at every Big 10 stadium and major bowl games. In autumn 2013 his music arrangements of the Michael Jackson halftime show for the OSU Marching Band were viewed by over 15 million persons on YouTube. He has written music for halftime presentations in the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and at National Championship Bowl sites. Additionally, he has written music arrangements for the University of Washington, University of Tennessee, Syracuse University, University of Nebraska, North Carolina State University, and other colleges and universities.

Among his many awards in recognition for his contributions to the field of music, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1987 and the Distinguished Scholar Award in 1994 from the OSU School of Music. In 2000 he received the Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award and the Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service in 2011 from The Ohio State University.

In 2006 the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. commissioned him to write new music in commemoration of their Centennial celebrated in Washington, DC. In 2011 he served as a music conductor and music arranger for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument on the Mall in Washington, DC for the Constitution Hall Concert. He also served as music consultant for the film on the MLK Monument entitled Building the Dream that debuted on Public Television stations nationally in summer 2013. He is a music scholar on blues and jazz, and consultant for the new African American Music Museum currently under construction in Nashville, TN.

McDaniel received his BA degree from Morehouse College and his MA and Ph.D. degrees in music from the University of Iowa. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he previously taught at Morehouse College and North Carolina A & T State University. He continues to be active as a scholar, teacher, arranger, conductor, clinician and adjudicator in African American music and jazz education circles.

Dr. Donald R. Simonson, Alpha Beta (Drake University) ’73

Donald Simonson is Morrill Professor Emeritus of Music and Theatre at Iowa State University where he chaired the Department of Music & Theatre and taught voice, voice pedagogy, vocal literature, and conducts musical theatre. Simonson is a graduate of Northwestern University and undertook advanced study at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (Academy of Music) in Vienna, Austria. His principal teachers include Marion Hall, Otto Edelmann, Norman Gulbrandsen, and Berton Coffin. He regularly performed leading roles and appeared as a soloist with opera companies, symphony orchestras, and chamber ensembles throughout Europe, America, Australia, and the Far East, including concert performances with ensembles such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Wiener Philharmoniker Solisten, the Austrian National Radio Symphony, and the Clemencic Consort. His performances have been featured on Austrian, German, and Italian national radio and television broadcasts and on NPR. Additional highlights include a recital tour of the Republic of China, where he also performed the title role in Mozart’s “La clemenza di Tito,” a concert tour of Austria and the Czech Republic, and his first concert tour of South Africa with Simon Estes, Mary Creswell, and The Ames Quartet. He has recorded for the Musical Heritage, Harmonia Mundi, Musique D’or, and CBS/Sony Classical labels. Earlier, Simonson maintained a research laboratory at ISU specializing in vocal acoustics. The results of his investigations have been presented at national and international conferences and published in leading journals.

Simonson’s students have gone on to win Fulbright Scholarships and Rotary Fellowships to Germany, Sweden, and Italy and have been finalists and winners of competitions such as the Union League, MacAllister, NATS, and MET auditions. His students may be heard in roles with opera companies both here and abroad, including the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric, Houston Grand, Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Leipzig to name a few. His students may also be heard on Broadway, and in national touring productions of musical theatre. Numerous former students hold faculty positions in colleges and universities throughout the U.S. In 2006 Simonson was named a Master Teacher for the NATS Summer Intern Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. He reprised his role as a Master Teacher in 2012 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and in 2015 at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

From 2010-2012 Simonson served a two-year term as President of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). An active member of NATS for over 35 years, Simonson served the organization in a variety of capacities. He served two terms as the Iowa District Governor, and two terms as Governor of the Central Region and member of the National Board of Directors. In 1998 Simonson conceived and coordinated the first ever “Call for Papers” for a NATS National Conference. In 2006 he was elected the Vice President for NATSAA. He also served as a reviewer for the “Call for Papers” for the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT8) held in Brisbane, Australia in August 2013. In 2014 he coordinated the second NATS National Music Theatre Competition (NMTC) in Boston. More recently, Simonson was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Teachers of Singing, a select group of not more than 40 voice teachers from around the country, centered in the New York area.

Charles E. Bruffy, Nu Gamma (Missouri Western State University) ’81

The Grammy Award-winning conductor Charles Bruffy began his career as a tenor soloist, performing with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers in recordings and concerts in France and at Carnegie Hall. Shaw encouraged his development as a conductor, and in 1996 he was invited by American Public Media’s ‘Performance Today’ to help celebrate Shaw’s eightieth birthday with an on-air tribute. In 1999, The New York Times named him as the late, great conductor’s potential heir.

He has been Artistic Director of the Kansas City Chorale since 1988 and the Phoenix Chorale since 1999. He has been the Director of Music at Rolling Hills Church since 1994 and Chorus Director for the Kansas City Symphony Chorus since 2008. He conducts workshops and clinics across the US including teaching at the Westminster Choir College Summer Conducting Institute since 2006. Upcoming engagements include The Anúna International Choral Summer School in 2013 and the Association of Canadian Choral Communities in Halifax, Novia Scotia in 2014. He is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Atlanta Young Singers of Callenwolde and WomenSing in the San Francisco Bay area and served on the Board of Chorus America for seven years.

He is renowned for his fresh and passionate interpretations of standards of the choral repertoire, and for championing new music. Bruffy has commissioned and premiered works by composers such as Ola Gjeilo, Matthew Harris, Anne Kilstofte, Libby Larsen, Zhou Long, Cecilia McDowall, Stephen Paulus, Stephen Sametz, Philip Stopford, Steven Stucky, Joan Szymko, Eric Whitacre, and Chen Yi. Under his supervision, the Roger Dean Company, a division of the Lorenz Corporation, publishes a choral series specializing in music for professional ensembles and sophisticated high school and college choirs.

His eclectic discography includes six recordings with Nimbus Records and eight recordings with Chandos Records. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has recognized five of these recordings with a total of twelve Grammy nominations and five Grammy wins: in 2008 for “Best Engineered Album, Classical” for Grechaninov: Passion Week featuring the Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale; in 2009 for “Best Small Ensemble Performance” for Spotless Rose: Hymns to the Virgin Mary featuring the Phoenix Chorale; in 2012 for “Best Engineered Album, Classical” and “Best Choral Performance” for Life and Breath: Choral Works by René Clausen featuring the Kansas City Chorale; and in 2015 for “Best Choral Performance” for Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil featuring the Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale.

Dr. Glenn C. Hayes, Nu Pi (Central Michigan University) ’72

Dr. Hayes’ teaching areas include graduate and undergraduate conducting, graduate music education, wind literature, secondary instrumental music methods, student teacher supervision and marching band techniques. His previous teaching positions include Moorhead (MN) State University, Bowling Green (OH) State University, Greater Muskegon (MI) Catholic Schools and Grand Blanc (MI) Community High School.

Under his guidance, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater band program has received regional, national and international acclaim for excellence in performance both in the concert hall and on the marching field. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble has performed by invitation at conventions of the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, College Band Directors National Conference and the National Association for Music Education.

On February 20, 2013, Dr. Hayes led the Symphonic Wind Ensemble in a performance at Carnegie Hall to great acclaim – the first Wisconsin university band to perform in the legendary venue. That performance led to an invited performance at Symphony Center in Chicago as the featured ensemble for the 2014 Chicago International Music Festival. Prominent composers and guest conductors have acclaimed the ensemble for exquisite musical sensitivity. The Warhawk Marching Band has performed eleven times for the Green Bay Packers, three times for the Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day ceremonies and hosts the Wisconsin State Marching Band Championships.

Dr. Hayes has presented at international, national, regional and state music conferences on topics ranging from ensemble development, the sensitivity of performance, literature selection and conducting. He has been an instructor at various workshops and served as a consultant to school districts throughout the Midwest. Dr. Hayes is a Past-President of the College Band Directors National Association North Central Division and a member of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Committee.

Dr. Hayes has guest conducted and adjudicated throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. He has given hundreds of clinics for high school and middle school bands. His primary conducting teachers have been John P. Paynter, Elizabeth A. H. Green and Norman C. Dietz. Dr. Hayes earned his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University and his graduate degrees from Northwestern University.

Daniel E. Gawthrop, Xi Mu (University of Delaware) ’97 & Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’18

Composer Daniel E. Gawthrop was born in 1949 in Fort Wayne, Indi­ana. He has been the recipient of over one hundred commissions to write original music. His published choral and organ works are in the catalogs of Dunstan House, Alfred Publishing, Alliance Music and others. His a cappella motet Sing Me to Heaven is among the most frequently performed choral pieces of modern times and has sold more than a half million copies.

Gawthrop’s music has premiered in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Salt Lake City Mormon Tabernacle, and Washington National Cathedral among dozens of other prestigious venues. His choral pieces have been performed and recorded by such eminent ensembles as The United States Air Force Singing Ser­geants, the Gregg Smith Singers, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Paul Hill Chorale, the American Boychoir, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Cathedral Choral Society (of Washing­ton National Cathedral) and literally hundreds of other groups in the U.S. and abroad.

In addition to his work as a composer, Gawthrop has been active as a broadcaster, clinician and adjudicator, organist, conductor, teacher and writer, including a period as music critic for The Washington Post. Gawthrop is a Life Member of the American Choral Directors Association and a member of The American Guild of Organists.

Gawthrop resides with his wife in southern Idaho a few hours from Yellowstone National Park and approximately halfway between Yosemite and Glacier National Parks.

Andrew Martin, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’18

Coming from a musical family, trombonist Andy Martin launched his career while still in his teens. His technique and virtuosity quickly established him on the Los Angeles music scene. As an instructor, Martin has influenced countless young players. He has appeared at many colleges and universities throughout the country as a guest artist and clinician.

A world-class jazz musician and Yamaha Performing Artist, Martin is featured as leader or co-leader on twelve albums. These albums showcase his collaboration with other top jazz artists such as the late Carl Fontana, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, and Eric Marienthal. He has also collaborated as a sideman with jazz greats such as Stanley Turrentine and Horace Silver. Martin had a long association with British bandleader and jazz promoter Vic Lewis and was the featured soloist on many of Vic’s CDs.

Martin is well known for his work as a lead player and featured soloist with virtually every big band in L.A. Martin is the lead trombonist and featured soloist with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, the lead trombonist, and soloist for The Tom Kubis Band, and was a featured soloist for the Bill Holman Big Band for 15 years. He has appeared in bands led by Jack Sheldon, Louis Bellson, Quincy Jones, Matt Cattingub, Bob Curnow, Patrick Williams, and Sammy Nestico, among others.

Martin has long been one of L.A.’s most prominent trombonists for commercial recordings, television and motion picture soundtracks and live theater. He has contributed on albums for many popular artists, including the Pussycat Dolls, Coldplay, and Michael Bublé. His television credits include the Grammys, the Emmys, the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Martin has been the lead trombonist on television shows Dancing With The Stars and American Idol and has appeared regularly on the soundtracks of major television series such as Family Guy, American Dad, and King of the Hill. His motion picture credits span the soundtracks of over 150 major films.

Paul Mauffray, Alpha Alpha (National Honorary) ’18

Paul Mauffray made his New Orleans Opera Association debut in 2018 conducting the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in George W. Chadwick’s opera Tabasco which he reconstructed from the original 1894 manuscript. He has recently conducted return engagements in Hradec Králové, Zlin, and Hainburg in programs featuring the music of Janáček, Smetana, and Bruckner in his fifth concert with a soloist from the Vienna Philharmonic. During recent seasons he conducted The Devil & Daniel Webster at Mobile Opera and made his Russian debut conducting performances of Dvořák’sRusalka at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.  He has recently conducted a studio recording of the opera The Scarlet Letter by Fredric Kroll in a return engagement with the Brno Philharmonic, where he previously conducted the Mozart Requiem and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring on 24 hours notice. Other recent conducting appearances of his have been in Bear Valley, Bratislava, Brno, Chattanooga, Hradec Králové, Hukvaldy, Ostrava, Pardubice, Zlin, and with the Schloss Schönbrunn Orchester in Vienna.

He is a four-time finalist for The American Prize for Professional Orchestral Conductors winning 2nd prize in 2018, 3rd prize in both 2016 & 2015 and awarded Honorary Mention in 2014.  As 2nd Prize Winner in the 2007 Bartók International Opera Conducting Competition, Mauffray has conducted performances of Bluebeard’s Castle and La Traviata, as well as scenes from La bohème, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Samson et Dalila, & Tosca in Romania.  He then appeared as a guest conductor at the Bucharest National Opera in 2010, and he was invited by Valery Gergiev in 2011 to coach singers and conduct orchestra rehearsals at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

While engaged as Associate Instructor / Assistant Conductor at Indiana University Opera, he also conducted Pictures at an Exhibition in return engagements with the Janáček Philharmonic in Ostrava, Hansel & Gretel at Opéra Louisiane, and was invited for return engagements in Zlin, Žilina, and Hainburg Austria with violin-soloist Tomas Vinklat, member of the Vienna Philharmonic.

He has conducted in 16 countries on 3 continents and developed his symphonic repertoire with regular engagements predominantly with Czech orchestras since 1994.  He has also conducted Così fan Tutte at the Schleswig-Holstein Landestheater, and subscription concerts with the Augsburg Philharmonic, Slovak Philharmonic, and Orchestre National de Lyon.

Mauffray has been engaged as Studienleiter /Assistant Conductor at the Janáček Opera/National Theater in Brno, where he conducted Don Carlos.  His successful performance of Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps (taken over on 24 hours notice) with the Brno Philharmonic led to an immediate return engagement in Mozart’s Requiem.

Paul Mauffray’s passion for the operas of Leoš Janáček led him to study in the Czech Republic and work as assistant to conductors Bohumil Gregor, Jiří Bělohlávek, and Sir Charles Mackerras.  He has worked as assistant conductor on over eight productions of Janáček operas including, Jenůfa, Káťa Kabanová, The Cunning Little Vixen, The Makropulos Case, and the American premiere of Osud (Fate).

Mauffray has been an assistant conductor at the Prague National Theater, with the Czech Philharmonic on recordings of Káťa Kabanová, Rusalka, and at the Salzburg Festival with Sir John Eliot Gardiner on Jenůfa.  He has also conducted at the Bard Music Festival in New York as assistant to Leon Botstein.  In 2008, he was engaged as Studienleiter/Assistant Conductor and Czech Language Coach on Káťa Kabanová with Kirill Petrenko and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at Theater an der Wien.

A native of Louisiana, Mauffray began his music studies at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Louisiana State University.  He studied conducting in Germany with Sergiu Celibedache, at Indiana University with Arthur Fagen and David Effron, was a conducting fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, and has conducted in Masterclasses under the guidance of Larry Rachleff, David Zinman, James Conlon, David Robertson, and Jorma Panula.

He was awarded First Prize in the 1996 Freedman Conducting Competition and was a semi-finalist in Bonn, Cadaques, and in the Prague Spring Conducting Competition where he earned Honorary Mention.  He was the only American conductor admitted to the orchestra rounds of the 2001 Besançon Conducting Competition.  He has also been one of a select number of conductors invited to participate in Masterclasses with Michael Tilson Thomas in Miami (2001), with Esa-Pekka Salonen in Singapore (2008), and with Franz Welser-Möst in Indiana (2010).