Music Director

With ASB Since 2022

director@austinsymphonicband.org

Kyle Glaser was appointed music director and conductor for the Austin Symphonic Band in July 2022. He also serves as the Associate Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Texas State University, where his responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Winds, overseeing all athletic bands, and teaching various methods classes. He holds a Doctor of Music degree in wind conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, a Master of Music degree in wind conducting from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to his appointment at Texas State, Glaser served as the Director of Bands at East Stroudsburg Area South High School in northeastern Pennsylvania and as the interim director of the East Stroudsburg University-Community Concert Band.

Glaser maintains an active schedule as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator across the nation. His significant research of the music of Robert Russell Bennett has resulted in a performance edition of the wind band suite Down to the Sea in Ships, issued by Alfred Publications. He is co-author of the workbook Conducting Enrichment: Daily Exercises for the Conducting Curriculum, published by Sentia Publishing. Additionally, Glaser has contributed several chapters to the GIA Publications Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He has also served as the national vice president for professional relations for Tau Beta Sigma, the national band sorority.

Glaser's professional memberships include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Association for Music Education, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the International Society for the Research & Promotion of Wind Music, and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity.

He resides in Austin with his wife Suzanne, who is director of bands at Gorzycki Middle School, and their charming daughter Eryn.

Assistant Music Director

Conductor & Percussion

With ASB Since 1997

asstdirector@austinsymphonicband.org

Bill Haehnel has been a Texas music educator for 43 years and is in his 21st year as Assistant Director of ASB. He has served on the music faculty at UT Austin and as an instructor of percussion at Texas Lutheran University. Haehnel retired from the classroom in May 2013 and now serves in an advisory role to band directors and as a clinician and evaluator throughout the United States.

He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Band Masters Association, the College Band Directors National Association, and the Percussive Arts Society. His marching bands, concert bands, jazz ensembles, steel drum ensembles, and percussion ensembles consistently earned superior ratings at both state and national contests as well as performance exhibitions.

Director Emeritus

With ASB 1986-2021

Richard Floyd was a formative figure in the band's growth and development. Under his direction ASB grew in size and quality, hosted a busy season of seven annual performances, and appeared at numerous national music conferences and conventions. It won the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Scroll for outstanding achievement as a community band in 1994, and was named the Official Band of the City of Austin in 1989.

Floyd has been active as a conductor, music educator and administrator since 1962. He has enjoyed a distinguished and highly successful career at virtually every level of wind band performance from beginning band programs through high school and university wind ensembles as well as adult community bands.

Richard Floyd is a Yamaha Master Educator. He is a recognized authority on conducting, the art of wind band rehearsing, concert band repertoire and music advocacy. As such, he has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, with engagements in 45 American states and 9 other countries. In 2002 he was the recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award, recognizing significant and lasting contributions to the school band movement. He was named Texas Bandmaster of the Year in 2006, and in 2009 was presented the Texas Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award. In March 2011 he was inducted into the Music for All Hall of Fame and awarded the prestigious Midwest International Clinic Medal of Honor for distinguished and unique contributions to educational bands and orchestras. Most recently, Floyd was elected to the National Band Association Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts and presented the Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity Distinguished Service to Music Award.

Retirement Announcement | Clinician | Lecturer

Business Manager

With ASB since 2022

execdirector@austinsymphonicband.org

Amanda Hearn, a Pflugerville native, is excited to join Austin Symphonic Band as Bass Trombonist and Business Manager. She brings to this role several years of project and program management in the non-profit sector. With a Bachelor of Music Studies degree from Texas State University, Amanda has served as band director in both Harper and Leakey ISD systems as well as clinician and drill writer for several San Antonio-area schools. Prior to her appointment as Business Manager, Amanda served as the Director of Operations for Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in San Antonio.

Currently, she is a technician for Samsung Austin Semiconductor and serves in the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Electronics Technician, while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University.

At home you can find Amanda catching hockey games with husband Brian, if she is not customizing a 2002 Jeep TJ with stepson Bryson or being dogmom to Charlie the Great Pyrenees mix.