Dr. Steven D. Ward
Dr. Steven D. Ward is the Music Director/Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Abilene, the Music Director/Conductor of the Abilene Youth Orchestra, and Professor of Music and Director of Orchestra and Bands at Abilene Christian University. He also serves as the conductor for the Ballet San Angelo yearly production of The Nutcracker and the conductor of the orchestra and faculty ensembles for the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. In the summer he serves as a conductor and conducting masterclass clinician for the Mid-Europe Music Festival in Schladming, Austria.
Previously, he was Music Director/Conductor of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra in Kalamazoo, MI, and Director of Bands at Hope College in Holland, MI. Prior to appointments with the KJSO and Hope College, he was the Music Director/Conductor of the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra in La Grande, OR, and Instructor of Music at Eastern Oregon University.
Dr. Ward has conducted extensively in many different areas including orchestra, dance/ballet, band, musical theater, opera, and contemporary music, and is a recipient of the ASCAP orchestra award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. He spent nine summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp, conducting the Interlochen Philharmonic, as well as middle school and high
school orchestras and bands and faculty ensembles. He has conducted many all-region and similar ensembles, including the Symphony Orchestra at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and region orchestras and bands throughout Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, and more. Guest appearances include the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Midland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Midland Festival Ballet, the Temple Symphony Orchestra, and others.
He holds a DMA in Conducting from Michigan State University, an MA in Conducting from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a BM in Music Education from Abilene Christian University. He is past president of the South-Central Region of the College Orchestra Directors Association, president of the Southwestern Division of the College Band Directors National Association, and a member of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Michigan State Band and Orchestra Directors Association, the
American String Teachers Association, and the International Conductors Guild.
Alan Baylock
Born and raised in a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Alan Baylock has composed music that is performed throughout the world. One of the most respected and sought-after jazz composers and educators in the industry today, he is the director of the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas, and previously served 20 years as Chief Arranger for the USAF Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. The Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra recorded three critically acclaimed CDs and performed throughout the United States for 15 years. Baylock graduated from Shenandoah University (B.M. ’90), where he later became Jazz Composer-in-Residence, and the University of North Texas (M.M. ’94).
Baylock travels extensively as guest conductor and clinician, and has been featured with over 100 professional, collegiate, high school (all-state and regional) and middle school jazz ensembles. Alan is on
faculty at the National Jazz Workshop (NJW) and directed the NJW All-Star Big Band in performances on the East and West Coast. He is an active member of the Jazz Education Network and is a strong advocate for women in jazz. In 2022, Alan teamed up with composer/arranger Annie Booth to establish Brava Jazz Publishing, whose mission it is to support and champion women composers and arrangers in the field of big band jazz by creating a platform for their music to be widely published and distributed.
Alan’s music has been performed and/or recorded by jazz greats Melissa Aldana, Michael and Randy Brecker, Regina Carter, Paquito D’Rivera, Kurt Elling, Maynard Ferguson, Stefon Harris, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard, Sean Jones, Dave Liebman, Allison Miller, Nicholas Payton, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Tierney Sutton, Kenny Werner, Phil Woods, and many more. His eclectic talents have also led him to writing music for Roy Clark, Lee Greenwood, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Patti LaBelle, Spyro Gyra, Ronan Tynan, Wynonna, and symphony orchestras throughout the United
States and abroad. His music is published by Alfred Music and ProJazzCharts.com.
Baylock lives in Denton, Texas with his wife, cellist Maria Baylock. In his spare time, Alan enjoys playingtable tennis, and golfing with his UNT Jazz colleagues.