Donald J. McKinney
Donald J. McKinney is Director of Bands and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He conducts the CU Wind Symphony, guides the graduate wind-conducting program and oversees the university band program. Prior to his appointment at CU Boulder, McKinney was the Director of Wind Ensembles and Associate Professor at Louisiana State University. While teaching at LSU, the Wind Ensemble performed for the South Central Regional Music Conference and was invited to perform for the 2013 College Band Directors National Association Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina.
He has held faculty positions at Interlochen Arts Academy and Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music. From 2010-2015, he was the Coordinator of Bands for Interlochen Arts Camp. In this capacity, he conducted the World Youth Wind Symphony and administered the summer band program. As a guest conductor he has appeared with the Dallas Wind Symphony, Concordia Santa Fe, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra and numerous honor ensembles. On numerous occasions, his performances with the Dallas Wind Symphony have been featured on National Public Radio Performance Today.
His recording credits include projects with the Dallas Wind Symphony, University of Michigan Symphony Band, University of Texas Wind Ensemble, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Keystone Wind Ensemble and the Duquesne University Wind Symphony. In 2015-16, he is the guest conductor for the Texas All-State 5A Symphonic Band as well as concerts in Canada, Costa Rica, Washington, Missouri, New York and Texas.
McKinney has published articles in five volumes of Teaching Music through Performance in Band. For the same project, he has performed for three recordings with the North Texas Wind Symphony. He has also authored a chapter about composer Jennifer Higdon for the book Women of Influence in Contemporary Music published by Scarecrow Press. After participating in the Second Frederick Fennell Conducting Masterclass, he was named a finalist for the Thelma A. Robinson Award by the Conductors Guild. He has been nominated for a LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Dr. McKinney holds degrees from Duquesne University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan. His primary conducting teachers include Michael Haithcock, Dr. Jack Stamp, Dr. Robert Cameron and additional study with H. Robert Reynolds and Frank Battisti.