For fast facts and information about NWWS, please visit our About page.
Dr. Dan Schmidt, Conductor and Musical Director
Dr. Schmidt holds degrees from the University of Nebraska, the University of Northern Colorado, and the Cinicinnati Conservatory of Music. He was an Air Force Officer for twenty years as a Band Commander, commanding bands in California, Alaska, Louisiana, Washington, New Jersey, and Texas. In this position, he was privileged to perform with celebrities like Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Red Skelton, David Ogden Stiers, and chef Graham Kerr.
In addition to the Northwest Wind Symphony, Dr. Schmidt performs with the Evergreen Brass Quintet, the Everett Philharmonic, Philharmonia NW, and the Octava Chamber Orchestra in the Seattle area. On a lighter note, Dr. Schmidt has played for the unveiling of the first Space Shuttle, SS Enterprise, where Gene Rodenberry shook his hand and thanked him for “playing his tune.” Schmidt also played for the rollout of the B1 Bomber and the SR71 Blackbird, which broke the speed record from London to LA in a little over 4 hours!
From 1994-2007, he held the position of Director of Bands at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, and in 2005, his college wind ensemble performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2007, he and his wife Susan retired from Hastings College and moved to the Northwest to be near their children and grandchildren.
and Conductor
Dan Judd, Conductor and NWWS Co-Founder
Dan Judd served as Director of Bands at W.F. West High School (Chehalis School District) from 1982-2006. He received his professional training and certification from Whitman College (BA-Music Education) and Central Washington University (MM-Music Ed/Conducting). Under Mr. Judd’s leadership, the W.F. West bands earned many honors and awards in Concert, Jazz and Marching performances. The W.F. West Wind Ensemble was selected as featured performance ensemble at the Washington All-State Music Education convention twice. The Bearcat Jazz Band earned 1 st Place honors at the famous Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho. Mr. Judd created and led six “Washington-To-Washington” music tours to the east coast USA, providing hundreds of W.F. West musicians the opportunity to tour and perform in some of the most exciting concert and parade venues possible. In 2008 the Washington Music Education Association inducted Mr. Judd into the WMEA “Hall of Fame”.
Upon his retirement from Washington, Mr. Judd moved to Bend, Oregon, serving as Director of Bands at Summit High School. As a state board member for the Oregon State Music Education Association, Mr. Judd initiated the Oregon Chamber Ensemble State Championship. In 2015 he was selected for membership in Mu Phi Epsilon as well as the Northwest Bandmasters Association, where he serves on the board of directors. Dan and wife Lorene have served as staff members on both Washington and Oregon Ambassadors of Music tours to Europe. In 2017, Judd was selected “Teacher of the Year” for the Bend LaPine School District. His Summit High School band earned the Oregon State 5A Band Championship seven times during his tenure. After 42 years in the high school band world, Dan and wife Lorene retired and moved back to the Chehalis/Centralia area. In retirement, Mr. Judd serves as band contest adjudicator and clinician throughout Washington and Oregon.
Dr. Carolyn Vian, Former Conductor and NWWS Co-Founder
Dr. Vian earned her doctorate from the University of Oregon in trumpet performance, pedagogy and music education where she was the assistant conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble under Robert Vagner. Her studies abroad took her to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Scotland. Dr. Vian played with the Long Beach Symphony, Eugene Symphony, and the summer Bach Festival in Eugene under Helmuth Riiling. She was one of 21 conductors selected to study with world-famous conductor Pierre Boulez at Carnegie Hall.