Band Conductors

  Dr. James C. Colonna

Jim Colonna is the Conductor of the Wind Symphony at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  He has served as the Director of Instrumental Music at Indiana/Purdue University-Fort Wayne and Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Prior to joining the faculty at IPFW, he earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree at Michigan State University where he studied conducting with John Whitwell and Kevin Sedatole. In 2000 Jim earned is Masters of Music Degree from University of North Texas where he studied conducting with  Eugene Corporon and composition with Cindy McTee.  Dr. Colonna has been a frequent guest conductor throughout the United States where he has premiered many of his own compositions. 

As a conductor, Colonna has released a CD with the LCCC Wind Symphony and Jazz Band, Wind Dancer.  Norman Dello Joio, and Sammy Nestico have granted critical acclaim for this release of their music.  “The Wind Symphony’s performance of my variants will be placed among those of the very fine,” stated Norman Dello Joio.  “We can help change the world one note at a time,” said Sammy Nestico.

In 1996, he began his career as a composer and has composed more than 16 original compositions, of which 15 have been published.  He has received many commissions to create unique works for large concert ensembles, most recently, Radhe, commissioned by the Fort Wayne Area Community Band, “7”, commissioned by the Michigan State University Symphonic Band and the New England Music Camp and Zoom! commissionedby the Meridian Band from Okemos, Michigan. He also premiered an orchestra composition Glee! with the 2005 Wyoming All-State Orchestra.  He has been recognized by fellow composers including Cindy McTee, Michael Colgrass, Michael Torke, Joel Puckett and Jack Stamp.  Torke remarks:  “Mr. Colonna’s music is artistic even though composed for high-school band, his music is honest and deserves repeat performances.”  Michael Colgrass states: “Jim’s Music is a wonderful addition to the band world, it contains magnificent scoring throughout.”  Recently Colonna’s compositions have been performed across the globe in the UK, Canada, Japan, Belgium, and Finland.

Jim’s music has been recorded by the North Texas Wind Symphony, Rutgers Wind Ensemble and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band.  His compositions have been featured in Teaching through Music and Band where he is also a contributing author.

As a trumpet performer, Dr. Colonna performed with the 113th Army Band, the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony, the Night Flight and Jim Colonna Big Bands, the Cheyenne Brass and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

 Dr. Phillip A. Ostrander is Assistant Professor of Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he conducts the Symphony Band and teaches private trombone, trombone ensemble and brass techniques. Prior to his work at Eau Claire, he held a faculty position in New York at SUNY Geneseo teaching trombone and jazz studies. Dr. Ostrander completed his doctoral studies in trombone performance and literature at the Eastman School of Music in the studio of Dr. John Marcellus. Dr. Ostrander received master's degrees in both trombone and wind conducting from the New England Conservatory, as well as a bachelor's and Performer's Certificate from Eastman.

From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Ostrander taught trombone and conducted the wind ensemble at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. While in Kansas, Dr. Ostrander conducted the 250 member Kansas Lions Band. In the summer of 2001, he was wind ensemble director at the New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the popular chamber group Rhythm and Brass. Currently, he is a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee under Michael Stern. Dr. Ostrander has recently been named Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. An accomplished jazz trombonist, Dr. Ostrander has collaborated with jazz artists Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Jimmy Heath, Claudio Roditi and Rich Beirach. He has recorded on Sony Classical with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Naxos with the IRIS Orchestra.