Brendan Caldwell

Dr. Brendan Caldwell is professor of conducting and director of wind ensembles at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts. As director of wind ensembles, Caldwell conducts the BW Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the BW Symphonic Band, teaches courses in conducting, and offers a summer seminar for music educators entitled, "The Conscious Conductor."

Through a vision for artistic process deeply rooted in collaboration, Caldwell regularly forms unique partnerships with his ensembles, soloists, composers, and audiences with the goal of reimagining the concert-going experience. Past collaborations have included Amanda Powell, The Factory Seconds Brass Trio, Dame Evelyn Glennie, George Crumb, Frank Ticheli, Bud Beyer, Marianne Ploger, Clint Needham, Charles Rochester Young, Gro Sandvik, Velvet Brown, Graham Breedlove, Wesley Anderson, and Nancy Ambrose King.

Caldwell's research and scholarship explore personal and musical transformation through the spiritual practice of mindful listening with a vision for performance and education deeply rooted in communal consciousness. In 2013, he composed and released a CD on mindful listening, "Gypsy Radio and the Rock and Roll Consecration." As an accompanying document, Caldwell also wrote a book, "The Buddha and Bruce Springsteen."

In addition, Caldwell has been in wide demand as a clinician and speaker. His talks have included keynote addresses at university-wide symposia on teaching and learning, national and international conferences on education in the arts, spiritual gatherings with a wide variety of faith-based groups, and forums seeking to fully harness the unique potential of music education. Caldwell’s work seeks to help his audiences awaken from the illusion of separateness through the healing power of perception.

Caldwell currently offers an experiential seminar for music educators entitled, "The Conscious Conductor." This course is offered as a summer seminar that also includes continued collaboration in the subsequent school year to transfer these topics into teachers’ ensembles and classrooms. Experiences for educators include conducting BW wind ensembles on repertoire they have programmed with their school groups as a means of facilitating lasting and meaningful transfer in those who participate. If interested, please contact Brendan for details or register directly through the BW Community Arts School.

Before arriving in Cleveland, Caldwell served as director of bands at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (UWSP) from 2006 until 2014. In this role, he oversaw the band area and conducted the UWSP wind ensemble and concert band. He also taught classes in conducting, music education and directed the instrumental UWSP apprentice conducting program.

Caldwell was also the founder and administrator of The Perception Project and the UWSP Courtyard Connections Forum, a lecture series modeled after the TED Talks in which audiences gathered once a semester to "awaken from the illusion of separateness" through presentations which discussed various areas of passion and scholarship. Through exploring seemingly disparate topics in a profound manner, audiences were encouraged to seek connections with their own discipline, personal life and each other.

He also taught at the University of Dayton from 2002 to 2004. From 1996-2000, he was the director of bands at Lee High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.