Band Faculty & Staff | School of Music | SIU

Christopher Morehouse is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Southern Illinois University, where he serves as conductor of the SIU Wind Ensemble, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting, wind literature, and instrumental methods, and administers the entire SIU Bands program.

He made his Carnegie Hall debut with the SIU Wind Ensemble at the New York Band and Orchestra Festival in March 2008 and toured the People's Republic of China with the SIU Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir in May 2009. In spring 2011, the SIU Wind Ensemble hosted percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie for a four-day residency, culminating in a concert of Sean Beeson's Prometheus Rapture: Seven Legends for Snare Drum (world premiere wind version) and Joseph Schwantner's Percussion Concerto, and gave a concert, with the SIU Concert Choir, at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In May 2012 and May 2016, members of the SIU Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir spent three weeks in Dublin, Ireland, in residence at the Gaiety School of Acting: The National Theater School of Ireland, developing and performing an original theater concert project.

Prior to joining the faculty at Southern Illinois University, Morehouse taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in New York and Massachusetts for seven years. He has served as the conductor of the University of Dayton (Ohio) Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conductor and music director of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble, assistant conductor for the Concord (Massachusetts) Band, guest conductor of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, and commissioned works project chairperson on the executive board of the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association. In addition to Carnegie Hall, his ensembles have been chosen to perform at the Illinois Music Education Conference (SIU Wind Ensemble) and the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Conference (Belmont High School ensembles).

Morehouse is published in nine volumes of the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series, an encyclopedia of band literature published by GIA Publications, and contributed clinic reviews for the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles International Conferences held in Killarney, Ireland and Cincinnati, Ohio. He maintains an active schedule as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in the United States, Canada, and Europe and is currently a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Band Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the Illinois Music Education Association.

Morehouse received his Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Ithaca College, Master of Music degree in wind ensemble conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music, as a student of Frank Battisti, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting, wind emphasis, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, as a student of Rodney Winther. He joined the School of Music faculty at Southern Illinois University in August 2005.

George Brozak begins his fifth year as Director of Athletic Bands in the School of Music at Southern Illinois University. A native of Ohio, Brozak received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music in Music Education Degrees from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and an Ed.D. in Music Education from the University of Illinois. Most recently, he served as Director of Athletic Bands and Associate Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to his tenure at SIU, Brozak served as Visiting Assistant Director of Bands at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee and Lecturer in Music Education and Assistant Conductor for the renowned University of Illinois Bands, where he assisted both the Marching Illini and conducted Concert Band IIB.

Prior to his collegiate appointments, Brozak served as Director of Bands at Tiffin Columbian High School. There he directed marching, symphonic, concert, pep and jazz bands, and taught music composition/theory. The Symphonic Band took part in State Band Contest each year during his tenure. Additionally, Brozak taught beginning lessons on all instruments throughout the district. While at Tiffin, Brozak was the recipient of five Martha Holden Jennings Grants to further music education throughout the district.

He was also Director of Bands at Federal-Hocking High School in Stewart, Ohio, where he taught instrumental music, 7-12. While at Federal-Hocking, the marching band was consistently awarded top-honors in their class at OMEA Adjudicated Events.

Brozak has authored articles in the prestigious Journal of Band Research and Visions of Research in Music Education. Most recently, his dissertation, A History of the Bands at Ohio University was published by Diamond Ohio Publications. He has presented numerous lectures at both Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) and Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) Conferences, and served as percussion adjudicator for OMEA Marching Band Adjudicated Events.

Brozak is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, national honorary band fraternity and the Alpha Omega Chapter (Ohio University) of Lambda Chi Alpha. He is an honorary member of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter (South Carolina) of Tau Beta Sigma (national honorary band sorority), the Delta Sigma Chapter (South Carolina) of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Lambda Rho Chapter (Tennessee Tech) of Kappa Kappa Psi.

In addition to his scholarly writings, Brozak has written production material for Paramount Studios. His story premise for "Birthright" (Episode 142 and Episode 143) was produced by Star Trek: The Next Generation. His story for "False Profits" was produced by Star Trek: Voyager (Episode 44), and his story for "Broken Link" (Episode 98) was the Season Four cliffhanger for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Brozak has served as staff arranger for the Ohio University Marching Band; a position he has held since 1988. Additionally, he has written hundreds of marching band arrangements for high schools and college bands. He is a member of the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Band Association (NBA), Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the International Percy Grainger Society, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA). In 1998, Brozak was a finalist in the Ashland Oil Teacher of the Year Award, and has been named to Who's Who in America's Teachers.