Tyler Austin

Dr. Tyler Austin serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the F. Ludwig Diehn School of Music at Old Dominion University. Dr. Austin conducts the ODU Wind Ensemble, teaches classroom conducting at the undergraduate level, leads an applied studio of graduate conducting students, and coordinates the applied woodwind area. Dr. Austin serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of Maryland Chamber Winds (MCW), an international ensemble of performers who come together to present an annual concert series and educational outreach program. MCW is the ensemble-in-residence for the Maryland Wind Festival, a two-week festival of wind chamber music and outreach based in Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland, and their surrounding communities.

A committed advocate of new music, Dr. Austin has commissioned and premiered over 30 works for winds. He founded the annual MCW Composer Commission Project in the Summer of 2016 to produce original works for chamber winds and has funded ambitious recording projects to provide composers with professional recordings of their works. Dr. Austin has studied orchestration with Dr. Zhou Tian at Michigan State University and has been mentored by Dr. David Biedenbender and Dr. Adam Schoenberg.

Dr. Austin has maintained an active career in academia; he previously served as Assistant Director of Bands and then as Interim Associate Director of Bands at Oklahoma State University. While at Oklahoma State, Dr. Austin conducted the OSU Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and FRONTIERS New Music Ensemble. He served as both Assistant Director and then Director of Cowboy Marching Band, and directed the "Spirit" Basketball Band. He taught classroom courses in the Music Education area and held an additional appointment as Instructor of Bassoon from 2019-to 2021.

Dr. Austin completed the D.M.A. in Wind Conducting at Michigan State University in the studio of Dr. Kevin Sedatole. Prior to his study at Michigan State, he served as Director of Bands at St. John’s Catholic Prep in Frederick, MD, and actively freelanced as a bassoonist with wind bands and orchestras throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Dr. Austin holds an M.M. in Bassoon Performance from the University of North Texas where he studied with Prof. Kathleen Reynolds and a B.M. in Music Education from Susquehanna University.