Athens, Ga. – John Lynch, currently director of bands at the University of Kansas, has been named new director of bands in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia.
He succeeds John Culvahouse, who served as interim director from 2004-2007.
“Dr. Lynch’s presence on our faculty will do much to enhance the reputation of the school and the university,” said Donald R. Lowe, director of the Hodgson School, a unit in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “There is no question that his addition to the faculty will result in attracting excellent students to the Hodgson School and elevating the band and conducting programs so they will be comparable with the finest institutions in the country.”
Lynch’s appointment at UGA is official, starting this August.
“I am thrilled to be coming to the University of Georgia as the new director of bands,” said Lynch.”I look forward to building on the strong tradition of the UGA bands and to working closely with students, faculty and administration to create the finest band program in the nation.”
At UGA, his duties will include oversight and administration of the entire UGA band program. He also will be the conductor of the wind ensemble and head of the graduate wind conducting program.
Lynch earned his bachelor degree in music from Indiana University, a master of music diploma from the Eastman School of Music and a doctor of musical arts degree from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of the University of Cincinnati. He presently is a tenured member of the University of Kansas faculty, where he serves as director of bands and as head of the graduate wind conducting program.
Lynch’s previous positions include associate director of bands at Northwestern University and director of Instrumental Music at Emory University. In addition, Lynch has held positions as music director of the Northshore Concert Band, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony and the Orange County Music Educators Wind Ensemble, and in addition has 10 years of public high school teaching experience in New York state.
He is a winner of the William Revelli Award and a national recipient of the Stanbury Award for outstanding teaching and conducting. He is a member of the International Symphonic Conducting Workshop in the Czech Republic and has been a finalist in the Hungarian Radio Conductors Competition. Ensembles under his direction have performed throughout the United States, Canada, France and central Europe, and his performances have been broadcast throughout Chicago on WFMT and Georgia on Peach State Public Radio.
Lynch’s recent conducting invitations include the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Bands of America, International Wind Band Festival in La Croix, France, and the Louisiana and Oklahoma All-State Band. He has been named a Searle Junior Fellow for teaching excellence at Northwestern University and was a member of the prestigious Emory Scholars Committee.
He is an active clinician, guest conductor and composer. He has been published in Teaching Music Through Performance in Band and his composition Diversions will be published soon by Ludwig Music. Lynch is also a strong advocate for new music, having received grants to travel and study contemporary compositions in Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal. Lynch has commissioned and premiered several works and has recorded two compact discs.
His professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Music Educators National Conference, Conductors Guild and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.