Alex Kaminsky
VanderCook College of Music

BIO

Alexander Kaminsky was appointed Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at VanderCook College of Music in 2019 after a highly successful tenure at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.  Previous to that, Kaminsky led the band programs at Buchholz High School, Lincoln High School, Auburndale High School, and Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School, all of which excelled under his direction.  He holds degrees from the University of Florida and Indiana University, is active as an adjudicator, and is in demand as a guest conductor/clinician across the country.

Throughout his 30-year career as a high school band director, Kaminsky’s ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings at all levels of evaluation.  In addition to earning straight Superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) State Concert Band Assessment for an unprecedented 21 years (the last 11 years with both his first and second bands), he is the only director in the history of the FBA to have had three concert bands from one school earn straight Superior ratings at State, and he achieved this three times (2009, 2018, and 2019).

Kaminsky’s high school bands performed at the Midwest Clinic (2005, 2009, 2014, and 2018), ABA National Convention (2014), CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference (2004 and 2014), FMEA State Conference (2014), Music for All National Concert Band Festival (2002 and 2012), and the National Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall (2009 and 2018).  In 2018, the Stoneman Douglas Wind Symphony was named a Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors winner as one of only ten 6A bands in the nation.  His marching bands consistently placed in the Florida Marching Band State Championship Finals, winning several FMBC State Championships (including 4 of his last 6 years as a high school band director), as well as being named a finalist band at BOA regional competitions.

Kaminsky is a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and the American School Band Directors’ Association, and also holds memberships in CBDNA, NBA, and Phi Beta Mu.  He has served on many state and national committees including the ABA Sousa/Ostwald Award Committee, NBA Student Chapters Advisor, and is currently Chair of the ABA School Bands Task Force.  Kaminsky is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been featured in several publications including The Instrumentalist, Teaching Music, Halftime Magazine, School Band & Orchestra Magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make A Difference,” Home Magazine’s “12 Exceptional Educators,” and most recently, Inspiring a Love of Music published by GIA Publications.

Hannah Rudy
University of Illinois

BIO

Dr. Hannah Rudy serves as Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and conductor of the University Band at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her responsibilities include teaching undergraduate conducting courses, serving as assistant director for the 400-member Marching Illini, and leading volleyball and basketball pep bands. Prior to her appointment at UIUC, Dr. Rudy served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw State University where she conducted concert ensembles and athletic bands, and taught courses in music education. 

Throughout her graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Rudy served as the assistant conductor for all concert ensembles and collaborated regularly with featured soloists from the OU and CU faculties, as well as composers-in-residence. During her doctoral studies she was an Assistant Producer, member of the design team, and coordinated personnel and logistics for various audio and video recording projects with the University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony. Dr. Rudy has since served as conductor and producer for digital collaborations featuring composer, vocalist, and activist Dr. Leila Adu-Gilmore in her poignant work, Freedom Suite. Dr. Rudy has lead projects and presentations that provide resources to music educators and have built connections between musicians and composers from around the country. 

Concurrent with her work with the concert ensembles, Dr. Rudy has been instrumental in the design and execution of halftime shows and student development of bands in the Big XII, PAC 12, Big South, and Big Ten athletic conferences. Her halftime shows have featured various campus entities, as well as guest artists such as Boston Brass.  

Dr. Rudy is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator with athletic bands events, high school and middle school concert ensembles, and honor bands around the country. Her research focuses on guiding conductors to create more meaningful music-making experiences for themselves, the ensemble, and audience members through creative and artistic score study practices. She has presented her research at various state and national conferences including the College Band Directors National Association Regional Conference.  

Dr. Rudy holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Georgia. Following her undergraduate studies, she taught high school and middle school band in the state of Georgia. Dr. Rudy began her graduate studies with Dr. Donald McKinney and earned a Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting and Repertoire from the University of Colorado Boulder. Following her time in Colorado, she earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting from the University of Oklahoma studying in the studios of Dr. Shanti Simon and Dr. Michael Hancock. Her professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.