Donald McKinney, D.M.A.

About Donald

Donald J. McKinney is director of bands, professor of music, and chair of the department of bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He conducts the IU Wind Ensemble, teaches courses in graduate conducting, and guides the historic department of bands. From 2013-2024, Dr. McKinney was director of bands, professor of conducting, and chair of the conducting area at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music. He is active in commissioning and performing music of our time and collaborated with composers including Kevin Day, Stacy Garrop, Carter Pann, Joel Puckett, Carlos Simon, Annika Socolofsky, and Xi Wang. Before his 2013 appointment at CU Boulder, McKinney was the director of wind ensembles and associate professor at Louisiana State University School of Music.

He has held additional faculty positions at Interlochen Arts Academy and Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music. As a guest conductor he has appeared with the Dallas Winds, Concordia Santa Fe, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra, and numerous honor ensembles. He has also conducted concerts and clinics in Costa Rica and Canada.

His recording credits include projects with the Dallas Winds, University of Michigan Symphony Band, University of Texas Wind Ensemble, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Keystone Wind Ensemble, and the Duquesne University Wind Symphony. He was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award for producing the Dallas Winds recording John Williams at the Movies.

After participating in the Second Frederick Fennell Conducting Masterclass, he was named a finalist for the Thelma A. Robinson Award by the Conductors Guild. He has been nominated for an LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Mu. In 2023-24, he served as President-elect of the Southwestern Division of College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).