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The Ohio State University Wind Symphony Conducted by Russel Mikkelson, the Ohio State University Wind Symphony is widely recognised as one of the country’s elite wind bands. Committed to the creation of new music for winds, this ensemble has commissioned music by composers including David Maslanka, Eric Stokes, Dan Welcher, David Gillingham, John Stevens, Donald Crockett, Daniel Godfrey, Charles Rochester Young, William Bolcom, and Aaron Jay Kernis. One of the goals of the Wind Symphony is to provide students opportunity to interact with some of the leading composers and musical minds of our time. Visitors have included such notable musicians as John Corigliano, Lukas Foss, Krzysztof Penderecki, John Mackey, John Stevens, David Gillingham, Frank Ticheli, Gunther Schuller, and Percy Grainger biographer John Bird. Graduates of the Wind Symphony hold positions as professional orchestral musicians, soloists, conductors, members of the Washington-based military bands, university professors, and some of the world’s leading music educators. Since 1998 the Wind Symphony has recorded compact discs including Sounds, Shapes and Symbols (Mark Records), and J u b i l a r e ! (Mark Records). The Wind Symphony has performed at the 2003 College Band Directors National Association in Minneapolis, the Ohio Music Educators’ Association Conference three times (2001, 2004, 2006), with BalletMet Columbus (2003), and presents numerous on-campus performances annually. Russel C. Mikkelson Russel C. Mikkelson serves as Director of University Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the Ohio State University, where he conducts the Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds, guides the graduate wind conducting program, and oversees all aspects of the university’s band program. Under his direction, the OSU Wind Symphony has performed at the 2003 College Band Directors National Association Convention, the 2001, 2004 and 2006 Ohio Music Educators Association Conventions, and has recorded two CD’s on the Mark Records label: J u b i l a r e ! and Sounds, Shapes and Symbols . Winds of N a g u a l is the first CD the Wind Symphony has recorded on the Naxos label. A strong advocate for the creation of new works, Mikkelson serves on the Big Ten Band Directors Association Commissioning Panel, and has instituted a program of regular commissioning projects at OSU. Mikkelson has garnered praise from composers Leslie Bassett, Krzysztof Penderecki, John Corigliano, Lukas Foss, Frank Ticheli, David Gillingham, and others, for his musical interpretation of their compositions. Mikkelson was a conducting fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds the distinction of being that institution’s first recipient of the DMA degree in instrumental conducting. Prior to his appointment at OSU, he was Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the State University of New York-College at Fredonia, where he conducted the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Orchestra, Opera, and musical theatre productions. A native of Wisconsin, Russel C. Mikkelson began his career as a high school band director, serving from 1984-1990 as Director Bands at Stevens Point Area Senior High School. His bands developed a reputation for superior musicianship coupled with a deep understanding of the music being performed. Under his leadership, the Stevens Point Wind Ensemble performed at numerous state, regional and national conventions. He is Past President of the Big Ten Band Directors Association, a member of the College Band Directors National Association, MENC, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Beta Mu, and was recently elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association. He is the 2005 recipient of the Ohio State University School of Music Distinguished Scholar Award and recently published an article in The Instrumentalist titled Defining Success for High School Bands. He is active internationally as a guest conductor and clinician. 8.570244
