Artistic Director, Pincipal Conductor - Dr. Douglas Stotter
Dr. Douglas Stotter was appointed to the position of Artistic Director for the Dallas Civic Wind Ensemble in June 2010 for its inaugural season.
Dr. Stotter is Director of Bands, Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Wind and Percussion Division in the UTA Music Department. He conducts the Wind Symphony and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and wind literature courses while overseeing all aspects of the band program. He is active as conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and most recently in China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Prior to his appointment at UTA, Dr. Stotter served for seven years as Assistant Director of Bands at Indiana University, where he conducted the Concert and Symphonic Bands and taught advanced undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting courses in the IU School of Music. Previously, Dr. Stotter was Director of Bands and head of instrumental music education at Valdosta State University, where he conducted the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Marching Band and taught courses in conducting, marching band techniques and secondary instrumental methods. Dr. Stotter has also served as Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Doane College in Nebraska and at Galesburg (Illinois) High School.
Dr. Stotter's textbook, Methods and Materials for Conducting, was published in 2006 by GIA Publications and is now in use at numerous universities across the country. His other publications include contributions to the text Teaching Music Through Performance in Band (Volumes 5, 6, 7 and 8), as well as research into the history of Edwin Franko Goldman and the Goldman Band published in the Journal of Band Research. His arrangement for concert band of songs by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Three Dorset Songs, was published in 2003 by Daehn Music and performed in 2004 at the Midwest Clinic. His latest arrangement, a setting of Percy Grainger's Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol, was published in 2006 by Daehn Music. Dr. Stotter also served for 9 years as Editor of the College Band Directors National Association Report.
Dr. Stotter received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music education from The University of Michigan and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from The University of Iowa. He is a member of the Conductors Guild, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Educators Association and is an active member of the College Band Directors National Association, serving on the National Executive Board as treasurer. He is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma chapters at Indiana University, the University of Missouri-Rolla, Valdosta State University and the University of Michigan.
Associate Director, Founder - Preston Prior
Preston Prior founded the Dallas Civic Wind Ensemble in Summer 2010; Prior also serves as the ensemble's associate director. Mr. Prior is a professional trumpet and trombone player as well as a music educator in the DFW area. He is the current director of bands and music deptartment chair at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas. Since his arrival in 2009, the music program at Bishop Dunne has grown from 30 students to over 160. Mr. Prior graduated magna cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois with a degree in music education with a focus in brasswinds and conducting. Mr. Prior studied trumpet with Rick Leister, Steven Eggleston, and Amy McCabe of the President's Own Marine Band. Mr. Prior studied instrumental and orchestral conducting under Steven Eggleston and Roger Garrett, and choral conducting under Dr. J. Scott Ferguson, and Dr. Timothy Koch. During his time at Illinois Wesleyan, Mr. Prior formed a concert band which still exists and performs today. Mr. Prior currently plays in the Carrollton Wind Symphony, The Park Cities New Life Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra at Park Cities Baptist Church, The Metroplex Brass Quintet, and frequently does solo performances across the DFW Metroplex. Mr. Prior is a member of the National Association of Music Educators, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Private and Parochial Schools Association, Texas Private Schools Music Educators Association, and Kappa Delta Pi honors society for educators.