Wesley Broadnax

Contact Information

Professional/Academic Experience

Wesley J. Broadnax is in his fifth year as Associate Professor of Music/Director of Bands at the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO), where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, and guides all aspects of the wind band and graduate wind conducting programs. Prior to his appoint at UNC, he held similar appointments at Drexel University, University of Delaware, California State University-East Bay, and Michigan State University. He is also Assistant Conductor of the Newark Symphony Orchestra (Delaware).

A native of Texas, Dr. Broadnax received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Stephen F. Austin State University and taught for several years in the Texas Public Schools. He received both the master’s and doctoral degrees in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University. While at Michigan State University, he was a regular performer on bass trombone and euphonium, where he was a member of the West Shore Symphony, Greater Lansing Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, and Midland Symphony, in addition to various chamber ensembles that included both the West Shore Symphony Brass Trio and Capitol Brass Quartet in Lansing. In California, he performed as bass trombonist with the Silicon Valley Symphony and Mission Chamber Orchestra. His conducting teachers include John L. Whitwell and Frank L. Battisti; his bass trombone/euphonium teachers have included Nathaniel Brickens, Curtis R. Olson, Philip Sinder, J. Mark Thompson, and William Young.

Dr. Broadnax maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He has conducted several All-State and honor band and has presented resident conducting seminars at Michigan State University, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Indiana State University, Bemidji State University, St. Ambrose University, and Mansfield University. Guest conducting engagements include the 56th Annual Stanislaus County Junior High School Music Festival in Modesto, Calif., and the Fresno-Madera Counties Music Educators Association in Reedley, Calif. As adjudicator, he has adjudicated the Central Jersey Concert Band Festival (CJMEA)--South Brunswick, NJ, Western Band Association Concert Band Festival in Atherton, Calif., and conducted the Rocky Mountain Honour Band in Calgary, Alberta (Canada), 2nd Honor Band Invitational (Savannah State University), All-South Honor Band (University of Southern Mississippi), and the Michigan Intercollegiate Honor Band (Grand Rapids, MI). He served as guest conductor for the Temple Wind Symphony (Temple University), Philadelphia All City Concert Band, and the Philadelphia Wind Symphony. He is a strong advocate of new music and has won the praises of several composers, including Joseph Schwantner, David Maslanka, Michael Weinstein, Dana Wilson, Jere Hutcheson, Chen Yi, Paul Barsom, Davide Zannoni, Lawrence Singer, Joel Puckett, Nicholas Vasallo, Stephen Rush, Marko Bajzer, Angelo Sormani, Raphael Fusco, Drew Michael McWeeney, Eric Sessler, Mauricio Charbonnier, Aaron D. McMichael, & Kevin Poelking. He participated in the Pierre Boulez Symposium on 20th Century Contemporary Music at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the focal work being the composer’s Le Marteau Sans Matre, with members of Ensemble Intercontemporain.

In the summer of 2002, Dr. Broadnax completed a four-week residency as a conducting fellow at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, where he co-conducted the Young Artists Wind Ensemble and Chamber Music Program with master teacher Frank L. Battisti. In addition, Dr. Broadnax served as guest conductor for the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra Children’s concert series in Spring 2005 titled The Circle of Life, as part of its Black History Celebration. He also served for three years as music director/conductor for the Lansing Concert Band, and two seasons for the Oakland Municipal Band (California). Scholarship & Research activities include presentations at the Conductors Guild National Conference (Chicago), Delaware Music Educators Association (Smyrna, DE), Schwantner Music Festival (Newark, DE), and published articles on a variety of topics related to music education and community bands—including Ensemble Intonation: Five Strategies for Long—Term Improvement for the School Band & Orchestra Magazine (SBO), and Community Bands:  Their Value In American Society for the Association of Concert Bands (ACB) Journal.  In addition, he has served as a guest panelist and speaker on issues related to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) within the arts, and is a committee member regarding this work with the Colorado Music Educators Association Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Access (CMEA-DEIA). 

In addition to having conducted in Canada, Dr. Broadnax regularly continues his international engagements with wind orchestras each year by conducting and presented masterclasses on score study in Italy, Spain, and Argentina, having recently conducted the Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Mar Del Plata in Buenos Aires, and the Conservatorio dell’Orchestra di Fiati Rossini in Pesaro (Italy).  He is a member of the International Music Project (IMP), an international organization of Italian & American composers/conductors to advance performances and repertory of wind orchestras. 

Dr. Broadnax holds professional membership with the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), International Music Project (IMP), Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA), International Trombone Association (ITA), Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, and he is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda organizations.