Dr. Will Petersen

Education

• Bachelor of Music Education, B.M.E (2002)
  Indiana University, Bloomington 

• Bachelor of Music Education, M.M. (2005)
  Indiana University, Bloomington

• Doctor of Music, D.M. (2013)
  Indiana University, Bloomington

Biography

Dr. William Petersen was appointed to the faculty of the University of South Alabama in 2012. Petersen serves as Director of Bands and is in charge of all facets of the university's band program. He conducts the USA Wind Ensemble, the premiere instrumental ensemble at USA, and the 250-member, nationally recognized Jaguar Marching Band. In addition he teaches applied tuba and euphonium, conducts the University of South Alabama Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble, coaches brass chamber ensembles including the USA Tuba and Euphonium Quartet, and serves as the tubist in the University of South Alabama Faculty Brass Quintet. Dr. Petersen also teaches courses in graduate music education, marching band techniques, and conducting. Prior to his appointment at the University of South Alabama, Petersen spent three years earning his Doctor of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. The Indiana University Symphonic Band premiered his doctoral project, a transcription of Witold Lutosławski’s Paganini Variations for Solo Piano and Orchestra, in March of 2012, with Charles H. Webb (Dean Emeritus of the Jacobs School of Music) serving as piano soloist.

From 2005-2009, Dr. Petersen was Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and Instructor of Music at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA where he served as Assistant Director of the Marching Virginians, Director of the Hokies Pep Band, and conductor of the University Campus Band. In addition, he taught the tuba and euphonium studio, courses in aural theory for music majors, and served as tubist in the Virginia Tech Faculty Brass Quintet. In 2007, Petersen was honored as Virginia Tech “Music Professor of The Year” by the Gamma Mu chapter of Delta Omicron and a “Favorite Faculty Member” by the Virginia Tech Department of Residence Life.

As a tubist, Petersen maintains a busy schedule of orchestral, chamber, and solo performances, as well as masterclasses across the region. He is active along the Gulf Coast and has recently performed on tuba with the Northwest Florida Symphony, as well as the Mobile Symphony in January of 2015.  

Petersen received his BME in Instrumental Music (2002), MM in Wind Conducting (2005) and DM in Wind Conducting (2013) from Indiana University. He has taught in the public schools of Texas and remains an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator of concert and marching bands in several states. Since 2006, he has served on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic teaching tuba, euphonium and brass pedagogy.

He holds memberships in the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Band Association (NBA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), the Alabama Bandmasters Association, the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA), Kappa Kappa Psi, and honorary membership in Tau Beta Sigma and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.