Dr. Colleen Richardson is the Coordinator of Bands and directs the Wind Ensemble at Western University in London, Ontario, the second largest music program in Canada. She teaches undergraduate music education classes, graduate courses in conducting and wind literature, and supervises the Western Young Winds program, which is a community outreach band for students in grades six to nine taught by undergraduate music education majors. Prior to her appointment at Western, Dr. Richardson was Assistant Professor of Music Education and the Wind Ensemble Director at Converse College in South Carolina.
Besides being active as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor nationally, Dr. Richardson has guest conducted or presented her research at conferences in Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and the US. Her research focuses on wind literature, conducting pedagogy, ensemble rehearsal techniques, Messiaen’s compositional techniques, and Varèse’s connections with visual artists. Publications include articles for the Canadian Winds, and the Canadian Music Educator Journal, as well as multiple study guides for the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. Recently, Dr. Richardson produced and edited the Hunsberger DVD within GIA’s DVD set entitled Three Icons: Frank Battisti, Donald Hunsberger, and H. Robert Reynolds. In 2011, the Western University Wind Ensemble published its first CD, entitled Apparitions, which is available on iTunes, as well as through Albany Records or Amazon.com.
A native of Winnipeg, Dr. Richardson graduated from Brandon University (BMus Ed), the University of Calgary (Wind Conducting Diploma, MMus Conducting), and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA Wind Conducting). Her primary conducting teachers have been Rodney Winther and Glenn Price. However, she has also had opportunities to study with many other well respected composers and conductors, including: Craig Kirchhoff, Karel Husa, Warren Benson, David Maslanka, Eugene Corporon, Mallory Thompson, Robert Reynolds, and Jerry Junkin.
While in Cincinnati completing her doctorate, Dr. Richardson co-directed the Tri-State Chamber Players, as well as served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble. Prior to her graduate studies, she taught general, choral, and instrumental music in the Canadian school system for 14 years.