Dr. Jamie VanValkenburg
Jamie VanValkenburg is the Director of Bands and Instructor of Low Brass at Adams State College. He directs the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Marching Band, and teaches applied low brass and music education courses. He has previously been on the faculties of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Arizona), and Mesa Community College (Arizona).
Dr. VanValkenburg received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance from Arizona State University. He received his Master of Arts degree in Performance and Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from George Mason University. He has studied conducting with Anthony Maiello and Steve Peterson, and is currently taking applied conducting lessons with Allan McMurray at the University of Colorado. His major euphonium teachers were Sam Pilafian, Roger Behrend, Patrick Sheridan, and Fred Boyd. He studied tuba with Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan and trombone with Dr. Paul Schultz. He also studied applied composition with Dr. Glenn Smith at George Mason University.
Dr. VanValkenburg taught K-12 band for nine years. He taught for six years for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, for two years at Christ Lutheran School in Phoenix, Arizona, and for one year for Gilbert Public Schools in Arizona. While in Fairfax County, he taught at feeder schools for Frost Middle School and Robinson Middle School. During his tenure, both Frost and Robinson applied for and were invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic, in 1999 and 2000, respectively. He also worked for Robinson High School as a marching band clinician for five years.
Active as a clinician and adjudicator, Dr. VanValkenburg has given band and low brass clinics at the 2006 Nevada and 2010 Colorado Music Educators Association conferences and at public schools in Colorado, Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada. He was a guest artist for the 2005 and 2007 Southwest Regional Euphonium and Tuba Conferences, and is scheduled to be a guest artist at the 2010 International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Tucson, AZ.
A proponent of new music, Dr. VanValkenburg has committed both institutional and personal money for multiple commission consortia, including Libbly Larsen's "Concerto for Euphonium and Wind Ensemble," Dan Bukvich's "Inferno" for chamber winds, and a forthcoming saxophone concerto by Kenneth Fuchs.
Dr. VanValkenburg won the 1999 Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition at the Artist level. He is the first and only euphonium soloist ever to win Arizona State University's Concerto Competition. He also has been a finalist for euphonium positions with the United States Army Band in Washington, DC, and the United States Coast Guard Band in New London, Connecticut. He placed fourth in the 2004 Potomac Festivals Euphonium Competition at the Artist level and was a finalist for the 1998 Colonial Euphonium-Tuba Institute Artist level Euphonium Competition. He has twice been a featured performer with the Phoenix Symphony.
Dr. VanValkenburg has taught private low brass lessons extensively for seventeen years. His private students have been top auditionees in All-State and honor bands in Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada.
Dr. VanValkenburg can be reached by phone at (719) 587-7702 or by e-mail at:
