Kevin Geraldi
Director of UNIVERSITY Bands
Dr. Kevin Geraldi begins his appointment as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Illinois in the fall of 2022. His responsibilities include conducting the internationally renowned Illinois Wind Symphony, guiding the graduate program in wind conducting, and providing administrative leadership for the university’s comprehensive and historic band program. Previously, Dr. Geraldi served as Director of Instrumental Ensembles and Professor of Conducting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he joined the faculty in 2005. At UNCG, he conducted the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Casella Sinfonietta, led the graduate program in instrumental conducting, taught undergraduate conducting, and guided the instrumental ensemble program. He has held additional faculty positions at Lander University in Greenwood, SC, and in the public schools of Westchester, IL.
Ensembles under Dr. Geraldi’s guidance have presented acclaimed performances in significant venues in the United States and Europe, at national and state conventions, and through recordings on the Equilibrium, Centaur Records, and JustinTime labels. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator with high school bands, orchestras, and honor ensembles, including appearances with the Greensboro Symphony, Xinghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (China), the Union Musicale de Roquetas de Mar (Spain), and numerous university ensembles. Dr. Geraldi is a leader in commissioning and premiering new works for band and chamber ensemble and has earned praise for his collaborations with numerous significant composers and soloists.
Dr. Geraldi is a co-author of The Elements of Expressive Conducting, a textbook for undergraduate conducting courses that is widely used around the United States. A dedicated proponent of music education, his articles for music educators on concert programming and effective rehearsal strategies have been published by The Instrumentalist and the Music Educators Journal, and he has contributed numerous conductor’s guides for the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He is a frequent presenter at international, national, and state conferences. His articles in The Journal of Band Research and the WASBE Journal address topics that reflect his interest in the history and performance practice of chamber music for winds, brass, and strings.
A native of Elmhurst, IL, Dr. Geraldi holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in conducting from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Michael Haithcock and H. Robert Reynolds, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he studied conducting with Steven Eggleston. Additionally, he studied with teachers including Gustav Meier and Kenneth Kiesler and participated in conducting workshops with Pierre Boulez, Frederick Fennell, and Paul Vermel.
Dr. Geraldi is a recipient of the Conductors Guild’s Thelma A. Robinson Award and the Outstanding Teaching Award in the UNCG School of Music. He is a National Arts Associate of Sigma Alpha Iota and a member of the American Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, the National Association for Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.