Faculty Jerry Junkin Director of Bands Conductor of the UT Wind Ensemble University Distinguished Teaching Professor Serving since 1988 on the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Vincent R. and Jane D. DiNino Chair for the Director of Bands, in addition to serving as a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Jerry Junkin is recognized as one of the world’s most highly regarded wind conductors. Previously, he served on the faculties of both the University of Michigan and the University of South Florida. In addition to his responsibilities as Professor of Music and Conductor of the Texas Wind Ensemble, he serves as Head of the Conducting Division and teaches courses in conducting and wind band literature. He is a recipient of multiple teaching awards, and students of Prof. Junkin hold major positions throughout the world. He has served as Music Director and Conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia since 2003, and as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Winds since 1993. Additionally, he serves as principal guest conductor of the Sensoku Gakuen College of Music Wind Ensemble in Kawasaki, Japan. In 2005 he was presented the Grainger Medallion by the International Percy Grainger Society in recognition of his championing of Grainger’s works. A recipient of the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service to music Award, he was the 2012 Texas Bandmaster of the Year and in 2015 received the Medal of Honor from the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. He is the 2017 Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster of the Year. Performances under the direction of Prof. Junkin have won the praise of such notable musicians as John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, Gunther Schuller, Karel Husa, William Kraft, Jacob Druckman and Michael Colgrass, among many others. Prof. Junkin has released over 30 compact disc recordings for the Reference, Klavier and Naxos labels. The New York Times named his release with the UT Wind Ensemble on the Reference Recordings label, Bells for Stokowski, one of the best classical CDs of the year. Their performance of Circus Maximus was released on the world’s first Blu Ray audio disc in 5.1 surround sound by Naxos. In 2014, he led The University of Texas Wind Ensemble on a four-week tour around the world. Other major appearances with the UT Wind Ensemble include 1992 and 2008 European Tours, the 2007 Festival Del Sole in Napa Valley, in addition to two Carnegie Hall performances, seven TMEA Convention concerts, three ABA Convention performances and six CBDNA National Convention appearances. Jerry Junkin is an enthusiastic advocate of public school music education, having conducted All-State bands and festivals in forty-eight states and on five continents. He spends his summers in residence at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, as well as appearing at major music festivals throughout the world. Prof. Junkin has served as President of the Big 12 Band Director’s Association, is a member of the Board of Directors of The John Philip Sousa Foundation, is Past-President of the American Bandmasters Association, and is a Past-President of the College Band Directors National Association. Regularly making guest appearances with ensembles such as the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and the Taipei Symphonic Winds, the current season finds him conducting throughout the United States in addition to appearances in Japan, China, and Europe. Jerry Junkin is a Yamaha Master Educator. Cliff Croomes Associate Director of Bands Director of the Longhorn Band Conductor of the UT Symphony Band Dr. Cliff Croomes serves as Associate Director of Bands and the Director of the Longhorn Band at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his return to Austin he served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Louisiana State University and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Baton Rouge. Dr. Croomes holds both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from LSU. Prior to his time in Baton Rouge, Dr. Croomes served as the Director of Bands at Georgetown High School in Georgetown, Texas. Under his baton, the Georgetown Wind Symphony was named a 2014 Mark of Excellence Commended Winner. Earlier in his career Mr. Croomes was the Associate Director of Bands at Douglas MacArthur High School in San Antonio, Texas. He has also taught at Westview Middle School, Pflugerville High School and Bastrop High School. He has also had the pleasure of serving on the faculty of the University of Texas Longhorn Music Camp from 2001-2014. Dr. Croomes earned his Bachelor of Music Studies degree from The University of Texas at Austin and is an alumnus of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont, Illinois. He has performed with ensembles throughout the United States, London, Paris, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy as well as serving as an international consultant throughout Japan. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician for marching and concert bands throughout the states of Texas and Louisiana. Dr. Croomes holds an artist/educator endorsement with Innovative Percussion Inc. and is a founding board member of the composer diversity initiative “And We Were Heard” as well as a member of the Dr. William P. Foster Project advisory board. Dr. Croomes holds an honorary membership in Kappa Kappa Psi as well as professional memberships in the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, the Percussive Arts Society, Louisiana Music Educators Association and the Texas Music Educators Association. Douglas Henderson Associate Director of Bands Conductor of the Wind Symphony Dr. Douglas Henderson serves as Associate Director of Bands at The University of Texas at Austin, where his responsibilities include conducting the Wind Symphony, teaching advanced undergraduate and graduate conducting, and teaching band literature. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Dr. Henderson was an Associate Professor, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of Athletic Bands at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Henderson is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician throughout the United States, and he has guest conducted in Austria and Japan. He is a frequent guest conductor of the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project (WYWOP), an ensemble comprised of talented young international musicians from Europe, Australia, Japan, and North America. He also previously served as the conductor of Frontier Brass Band, a British-style brass band based out of the Oklahoma City area. Dr. Henderson received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Studies from The University of Texas at Austin, his Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin. His primary conducting mentors were Jerry Junkin and Kevin Sedatole. From 2003-2006, he was the Associate Director of Bands at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. In 1998 and 1999, he marched with the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps and then taught on the brass staff of the Madison Drum & Bugle Corps Association in 2001. He holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Tau Beta Sigma. Marc Sosnowchik Assistant Director of Bands Conductor of the New Music Ensemble Associate Director of the Longhorn Band Dr. Marc Sosnowchik is a conductor, educator, arranger, and clinician based in Austin, Texas. In his role as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), he leads the New Music Ensemble, conducts the Concert Bands, teaches courses in conducting and wind literature, and is Associate Director of the Longhorn Band. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Dr. Sosnowchik served as Associate Director of Bands at the University of South Florida, Assistant Director of Bands at Oklahoma State University, and Associate Conductor of the Florida Wind Band. A passionate advocate for fantastic contemporary music, he champions the work of composers from around the globe, as well as those within the local Austin and UT communities. His recent work with the UT New Music Ensemble includes world premieres from two-time GRAMMY winner Hila Plitmann and composers Steven Bryant, Alyssa Weinberg, and Donald Grantham. Performances with the UT New Music Ensemble have featured distinguished artists such as mezzo-soprano Page Stephens and GRAMMY‑nominated soprano Lindsay Kesselman. Dr. Sosnowchik frequently commissions new works and collaborates with the UT composition department to bring composers into rehearsals with student musicians. An active guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Sosnowchik leads honor bands nationwide and teaches at the World Youth and Adult Wind Orchestra Projects as part of the Mid‑Europe Festival in Schladming, Austria. Dr. Sosnowchik holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Alabama, and both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin. Before teaching at the university level, Dr. Sosnowchik taught in the public schools of Alabama. Mike Lebrias Assistant Director of Bands Director of the Longhorn Pep Band Director of Creative Media for UT Bands Dr. Mike Lebrias is a conductor, music educator, & content creator residing in Austin, Texas. He currently serves as an Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Creative Media for the University of Texas Bands department, where he co-teaches the Longhorn Band & Longhorn Pep Band, teaches undergraduate conducting, conducts the Austin Youth Wind Ensemble, and oversees content creation efforts for the department of bands. Dr. Lebrias enjoys making content geared towards providing insight into the wind band art form, and hopes to help bring the stories behind its composers and its music to wider audiences. Dr. Lebrias has conducted ensembles at all levels of performance – from middle school honor bands to professional wind bands alike. Upon joining the faculty at the University of Texas, Dr. Lebrias helped revive the Austin Youth Wind Ensemble (formerly the Texas Youth Wind Symphony) – and is excited to strengthen the bonds between the greater Austin area public school band programs and the University of Texas. He keeps an active schedule as a clinician, music arranger, and a content creator for wind music – creating content for composers, performers, and professional wind bands across the country. In addition to creating content for UT (@utexasbands, @longhornband), Dr. Lebrias has given presentations, talks, & consultations about content creation and social media presence for band programs across the country – via guest lectures, professional development programs, and workshop/ conference presentations. Outside of UT, Dr. Lebrias is the music director for the Austin Brass Collective – an organization that serves the greater Austin community through performances, educational programs, and music advocacy. During the summers, he spends his time teaching brass at Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps. T.j. Anderson Assistant Director of Bands Assistant Director of the Longhorn Pep Band Assistant Director of the Longhorn Band T.j. Anderson is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Wind Conducting and serves as a Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Texas at Austin. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Coastal Carolina, where he honed his percussion skills under the mentorship of Dr. Jesse Willis. During his time at Coastal Carolina, T.j. demonstrated his leadership abilities as the Drum Major for the Chanticleer Regiment for two seasons and also served as a conductor for the university pep band. While at Coastal, he sought conducting guidance from Garrett Griffin and Dr. Timothy Koch. Continuing his education, T.j. pursued a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting at Appalachian State University. There, he studied under the guidance of Dr. John Stanley Ross, Dr. Jason Gardner, Dr. Regulo Stabilito, and Dr. Alexandra Dee. T.j.’s role as a graduate teaching assistant allowed him to contribute to the University bands in many fashions. He served as a teaching assistant and instructor for undergraduate conducting, band literature, and band methods courses. He also served the Marching Mountaineers working as a winds instructor in his first year, and in his second year serving as a percussion instructor, arranging music and writing drill on various occasions. He also assumed the role of Musical Director for the Appalachian Concert Band and was a conductor of the Basketball Pep Band. Formerly, he held the position of Artistic Director and Conductor of the Festive Brass, as well as Assistant Conductor of the Carolina Master Chorale. His commitment to music education is reflected in his professional affiliations, which include memberships with CBDNA, NAFME, SCMEA, NCMEA, TMEA, and Pi Kappa Lambda. Additionally, T.j. is an Honorary Brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and a Sigma Alpha Iota Friend of the Arts.
