Band Conductors

  Dr. Richard Mark Heidel is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music in the Department of Music and Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he conducts the Wind Symphony, teaches courses in conducting and repertoire, supervises student teachers, serves as advisor to the National Band Association-Collegiate Chapter, and coordinates the UW-Eau Claire band program. Under his direction, the Wind Symphony has performed at the Wisconsin Music Educators Association State Conference, Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Conference, National Band Association-Wisconsin Chapter State Convention as well as on annual concert tours throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota.

A native of Texas, Heidel holds the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas as well as the Doctor of Education in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to his appointment to the UW-Eau Claire faculty in 2000, Dr. Heidel served as Director of Bands at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and as a teaching assistant in the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his university teaching experiences, Heidel was a high school band director in Texas for nine years.

Dr. Heidel has been distinguished with memberships in numerous national and international honor societies and fraternities including Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Sigma Alpha Iota, Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, Pi Nu Epsilon, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and Golden Key. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Musician award at Texas Tech University in both 1985 and 1986, and in 1997, he received the A. A. Harding award at the University of Illinois for the "highest possible achievement, service, and devotion to the University Bands." Dr. Heidel was named to the "Who's Who Among America 's Teachers" in 2002, and in 2003 he received the Citation of Excellence from the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association. In 2005, Dr. Heidel was honored by being initiated into Sigma Alpha Iota as a Distinguished Member-National Arts Associate. Dr. Heidel maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor, adjudicator, clinician, guest lecturer, trumpet performer, and custom drill designer. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Band Association, NBA-Wisconsin Chapter, and the International Music Camp (Honorary Member), and he has served on the Board of Directors of the Shell Lake Arts Center and Texas Tech Band Alumni Association. Dr. Heidel has presented clinics at state music conferences in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin as well as guest lectures at Texas Tech University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Ohio University, Bowling Green State University, Oakland University, and the University of Illinois. Heidel has served as guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician in Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada.  In 2003, Heidel served as an adjudicator for the Limerick International Marching Band Competition and the 100th St. Patrick's Day Festival in Dublin, Ireland. His summer teaching experiences include serving as a faculty member of the Shell Lake Arts Center in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, Texas Tech University Band and Orchestra Camp, Illinois Summer Youth Music Program at the University of Illinois, and the International Music Camp. His list of publications includes numerous articles in the National Band Association Journal and Teaching Music. Dr. Heidel holds memberships in the National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, and the Wisconsin Music Educators Association. As an active trumpet performer, Dr. Heidel is a member of Eau Claire Brassworks and he frequently performs with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra.

 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.