The search committee for the University’s next director of bands has narrowed the list down to three finalists.
Each of the candidates will serve a six-day residency in which he leads the Wind Ensemble — the University’s top band — in rehearsals and a public performance, teach a conducting class, meet with faculty and students and interview with the search committee, among others.
Interim School of Music Director Willis Delony said the residencies allow the school to get a better feel for the applicant.
“This is the same process we used when we looked for our new orchestra conductor,” Delony said. “Rather than bring someone here just for an interview, we held a reasonable number of rehearsals so that the group could get used to working with this conductor, we can see what they can do over a longer stretch of time, and it allowed them to learn more about us.”
The first finalist, whose residency began Wednesday, is Thomas Caneva, director of bands and associate professor of music at Ball State University. He was also the associate director of bands and director of the marching band at the University of Illinois and at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and assistant director of bands at Auburn University.
Donald McKinney, director of band activities at Interlochen Center for the Arts, will start his residency in February. McKinney previously served as the associate conductor of ensembles at Duquesne University and has conducted professionally with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, the Butler Symphony Orchestra and the Center Theatre Players.
Richard Hansen, director of wind ensembles and professor of music at St. Cloud State University, will start his residency in March. Hansen is involved with the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble in Tokyo.
The director of bands will be responsible for the Wind Ensemble, the University’s elite concert ensemble, in addition to teaching graduate-level conducting students and other day-to-day responsibilities.
“The director of bands will have his fingers in all elements of the band program,” said James Byo, music education professor and chair of the search committee.
The search officially began last year after Frank Wickes, who had been serving as director of bands for 30 years, announced his retirement.
“Replacing someone like [Wickes] is a big thing because he’s such an icon and you want to do it right,” Delony said. “It’s a high profile position, and it’s a well-known band program — one of the most well known in the country.”
The first effort to fill the position ended fruitlessly last year after the chosen applicant turned down the job, Byo said.
Forty people from across the country applied during the second search, Byo said. Applicants had to submit videos of their performances and rehearsals in addition to letters of recommendation.
“All three of the finalists come highly recommended by people in the field that are well respected,” Byo said. “We’re excited about it.”
Byo said the committee is looking for someone who can lead a major university band program, respect tradition and serve as an artistic leader.
“He will need to be able to reach out to various communities and bring recognition to LSU through outreach,” he said. “He will essentially be the spokesperson for the band.”
Delony said the committee will make its selection at the end of March, and the new director will begin teaching in fall 2011.
Delony said Roy King, who is also on the search committee, will continue serving as director of the Tiger Marching Band.
“That’s a tradition that’s so very strong, it will never change,” he said.
 
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Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]