CONTRA COSTA COUNTY HONOR BAND CONDUCTORS
2024 GUEST CONDUCTOR
Dr. David Vickerman
San Jose State University
Dr. David Vickerman, 2015 winner of The American Prize in Conducting and 2023 winner of the
Outstanding Music Educator Award for CMEA Bay Section, is an Associate Professor of Music and the
Director of Bands at San José State University. In addition to conducting the Wind Ensemble and the
new music ensemble (Disrupt), he teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting. He is
also the Music and Artistic Director for the San José Wind Symphony, the West Coast's premier wind
symphony.
Under his artistic leadership, the SJSU Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the California All-State
Music Education Conference (CASMEC) in 2020 and the College Band Directors National Association
(CBDNA) Western/Northwestern Division Conference in 2022. Prior to his appointment at San José State
University, he was the Director of Bands at The College of New Jersey where the Wind Ensemble
received invitations to the CBDNA Eastern Division (2014) and National Association for Music Education
(NAfME) Eastern Division Conferences (2017). Before joining The College of New Jersey, he held the
position of Director of Bands on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus where he conducted
the Wind Ensemble and directed the Pep Band. In addition to his duties at SJSU, he has previously served
as the Associate Conductor of Great Noise Ensemble, in Washington D.C. and he is a highly sought-after
guest conductor, having conducted numerous honor bands across the country.
A fervent advocate for contemporary music, Dr. Vickerman has commissioned works by eminent
composers and conducted many world premieres with The San José State University Wind Ensemble,
The College of New Jersey Wind Ensemble and Great Noise Ensemble. He has also arranged several
pieces for winds including Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble by Philip Glass (published
through WiseMusic Classical), Ára Batur by the Icelandic rock band, Sigur Rós, Observer in the
Magellanic Cloud by Mason Bates and Craigslistlieder by Gabriel Kahane. His primary conducting
instructors include Dr. Edward C. Harris, Dr. Stuart Sims, Robert Ponto and Dr. Harlan Parker.
Dr. Vickerman also regularly presents at regional, national and international conferences on topics
ranging from teaching social justice issues in band and embracing vulnerability in rehearsal and
performance, to the development of a computer-based conducting analysis system to assist beginning
conducting students. His co-authored paper with Dr. Andrea Salgian, “Computer-Based Tutoring for
Conducting Students,” was presented at the International Computer Music Conference in Utrecht,
Netherlands in September 2016. He also presented “Improve Band Performance with Socially-Conscious
Repertoire” along with Dr. Colleen Sears, at the National Association for Music Education Eastern Division
Conference in 2017 and at the Midwest Clinic in 2018.
Dr. Vickerman graduated from the Peabody Institute with a DMA in Wind Conducting in 2014 and a
Master’s Degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Oregon in 2010. Prior to his work at the
University of Oregon, he taught high school in California for 6 years after receiving a Bachelor of Music
Degree in Music Education and teaching credential from California State University Stanislaus in 2002.
Past Honor Band Conductors
1991 Steve Connolly, Cloverdale High School
1992 Dr. Edward C. Harris, California State University, Stanislaus
1993 Timothy M. Smith, California State University, East Bay
1994 Dr. Robert Halseth, California State University, Sacramento
1995 Dr. David S. Goedecke, California State University, Stanislaus
1996 Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland, California State University, Fresno
1997 Dr. Mitchell J. Fennell, California State University, Fullerton
1998 Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro, Fullerton College
1999 John F. Maltester, Los Medanos College
2000 L. LeRoy Roach, San Francisco State University
2001 Dr. Thomas Lee, University of California, Los Angeles
2002 Dr. Mike Bankhead, California State University, Chico
2003 Dr. Ann Porter, California State University, East Bay
2004 Dr. Jack Stamp, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
2005 Dr. Edward C. Harris, San Jose State University
2006 Dr. Stuart Sims, California State University, Stanislaus
2007 John L. Whitwell, Michigan State University
2008 Dr. Lawrence R. Sutherland, California State University, Fresno
2009 Dr. Robert Halseth, California State University, Sacramento
2010 Dr. Frank Tracz, Kansas State University
2011 Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro, Fullerton College
2012 Dr. R. Anderson Collinsworth, Sonoma State University
2013 Robert Ponto, University of Oregon
2014 Dr. Martin Seggelke, San Francisco State University
2015 Allan McMurray, University of Colorado
2016 Dr. Eric Hammer, University of the Pacific, Stockton
2017 Craig Kirchhoff, University of Minnesota
2018 Harvey Benstein, Walnut Creek Concert Band
2019 Dr. Danielle Gaudry, California State University, East Bay
2020 Gary Hill, Arizona State University
2021 John F. Maltester, Los Medanos College
2022 Dr. Vu Nguyen, University of the Pacific