GREGORY X. WHITMORE
B i o g r a p h y
Gregory Xavier Whitmore is Conductor of the University Symphonic Winds at California State University Fullerton (CSUF). In addition to this artistic responsibility, Dr. Whitmore is an Associate Professor of Instrumental Music Education and serves as Area Coordinator of the CSUF Music Education Department. Dr. Whitmore is also in his 11th season as Music Director of the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, one of only a handful of youth wind ensembles connected to a group one professional symphony orchestra (Pacific Symphony) in the United States.
Dr. Whitmore’s previous appointments in higher education include tenure as Director of Bands at Irvine Valley College (Irvine, CA), Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, CA), and College of the Desert (Palm Desert, CA). Prior to his work in higher education, Dr. Whitmore spent 13 years as Director of Bands at Cathedral City High School (Cathedral City, CA).
A proud Midwesterner and native of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Dr. Whitmore earned his bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education from The University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance. While a student at Michigan, Dr. Whitmore performed in the University of Michigan Symphony and Concert Bands; and led the University of Michigan Marching Band as “Michigan’s Man Up Front” - Drum Major - from 1999 to 2001 – becoming the second Black Drum Major in the history of the University of Michigan. Dr. Whitmore received his master's degree in music with an emphasis in wind conducting from California State University Fullerton. Dr. Whitmore holds a master’s degree, and a doctorate in music and music education from Columbia University (Teachers College) in the city of New York.
A Second Place Winner of the 2017 American Prize in Conducting, Dr. Whitmore has conducted ensembles around the world in such notable concert venues as The Golden Hall of The Musikverein (Vienna), The Wiener Konzerthaus (Vienna), The MuTh (Vienna), Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (Costa Mesa, CA), Symphony Hall (Chicago), The Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Carnegie Hall (New York City), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Meng Concert Hall (Fullerton, CA), Weill Hall (Sonoma, CA), The Ambassador Auditorium (Pasadena, CA), Holy Trinity Church (Stratford, England), St. John’s Smith Square (London), Chateau Vaux le Vicomte (Paris), and Heidelberg Castle (Germany). Under Dr. Whitmore’s direction, the Cathedral City High School Symphony Band was selected to perform as the showcase ensemble during the 2008 California Band Directors Association Annual Convention. Dr. Whitmore is a conductor for the World Strides Honors Performance Series.
With a research interest in music educator values as operationalized into pedagogy, in addition to investigating the concert band as an artistic medium; Dr. Whitmore has presented research at music education symposia throughout the United States and abroad, including The Midwest Clinic, and the International Society of Music Education World Congress. Dr. Whitmore’s research has been published in Visions of Research in Music Education. Dr. Whitmore has been recognized in four editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and he has been included in the 2005/2006 Edition of the National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers. Dr. Whitmore was selected to represent the State of California by School Band and Orchestra Magazine in the 2008 edition of “50 Band Directors Who Make a Difference”.
Dr. Whitmore belongs to professional organizations that include College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society, The National Association for Music Education, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, and the California Music Educators Association.
Scholarly Interests
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The Wind Band As Artistic Medium.
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Ensemble Conducting.
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Instrumental Music Education.
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Beliefs & Values of Music Education Practitioners.
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Music Educator Preparation.
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Literature For Winds and New Works for the Modern Wind Band.
Doctoral Dissertation Title:
Inspired Practice - The Values Of High School Band Directors.
Selected Publications & Presentations
Publications
Whitmore, G. (2024). Musical Fusion – The Alchemy of Pedagogy and
Ensemble Programming. California Band Directors Bulletin, 65(2).
Whitmore, G. (2021). Inspired Practice: The Values of Music Educators.
Visions of Research in Music Education.
Whitmore, G. (2018). "Concert Programming For Music Educators". In
Bandworld Magazine, 33(3).
Whitmore, G. (2017). "Concert Programming For Music
Educators". National Federation of State High School Association
Music Association Journal, 34(1) pp.12-14.
Whitmore, G. (2017). "SCSBOA Honor Band Experience As Conductor". In
Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association
Newsletter, pp.12.
Whitmore, G. (2017). “Concert Programming For Music
Educators”. California Music Educators Association (CMEA). January,
2016.
Whitmore, G. (2013). Bach Fugue In G Minor (“The Little”). In C. Randles
& D. Stringham, (Eds.), Musicianship: Composing In Band & Orchestra
(pp 191-197). Chicago, Illinois: GIA.
Presentations
Setting the Table: Strategies for Immersive Rehearsals and Artistic Programming.
New York State School Music Association Winter Conference
November 30th – December 3rd, 2023
Rochester, New York
Are YOU on the list? Diversity and Representation of Music Festival Composer Lists: An Investigation.
California All State Music Educators Association Annual Conference
Fresno, California - February 28th, 2023
Behind the Music – Concert Programming for Artistry.
Colorado Music Education Association Annual Conference
Colorado Springs, Colorado – January 26th, 2023
Are YOU on the list? Diversity and Representation of Music Festival Composer Lists: An Investigation.
International Society for Music Education 35th World Congress, Brisbane, Australia, July 17 – 22, 2022 (Conference Held Virtually – COVID-19)
Through the Looking Glass: Crafting an Improved Student Music Experience.
California All State Music Educators Association Annual Conference. Fresno, California, February 17-20, 2022.
Through the Looking Glass: Investigating the Student High School Band Experience.
Desert Skies Symposium on Research in Music Learning and Teaching, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, February 18 – 20, 2021.
Through the Looking Glass: Investigating The Student High School Band Experience.
International Society for Music Education 34th World Congress, Helsinki, Finland, August 2 – 7, 2020. (Conference Cancelled – COVID-19)
Collaboration, Connection, and Creativity – A Brainstorming Session with Southern California High School Band Directors.
California State University Fullerton School of Music – Music Education Department Event. Virtual Forum via Zoom. Fullerton, CA August 7th, 2020.
Behind The Music: Concert Programming For Artistry. The California All-State Music Education Conference, 2019. Fresno, CA.
Inspired Artistry: The Values of Music Educators.
International Society For Music Education 33rd World Congress, Bakú, Azerbaijan, July 15 – 20, 2018. Thousand Oaks: Sage.