Dr. Will Petersen

Education

• Bachelor of Music Education, B.M.E. (2002)
  Indiana University, Bloomington 

• Master of Music, M.M. (2005)
  Indiana University, Bloomington

• Doctor of Music, D.M. (2013)
  Indiana University, Bloomington

Biography

Dr. William Petersen was appointed to the faculty of the University of South Alabama in 2012. Petersen serves as Director of Bands and is in charge of all facets of the university's band program. He conducts the USA Wind Ensemble, the premier instrumental ensemble at USA, conducts the USA Jazz Ensemble, and serves on the teaching staff of the nationally recognized Jaguar Marching Band, which he directed for over a decade.  From 2012-2022, Petersen taught applied tuba and euphonium, conducted the University of South Alabama Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble, and served as the tubist in the University of South Alabama Faculty Brass Quintet.

Dr. Petersen teaches courses in graduate and undergraduate music education, conducting, and also supervises instrumental music education student teachers. Prior to his appointment at the University of South Alabama, Petersen spent three years earning his Doctor of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. The Indiana University Symphonic Band premiered his doctoral project, a transcription of Witold Lutosławski’s Paganini Variations for Solo Piano and Orchestra, in March of 2012, with Charles H. Webb (Dean Emeritus of the Jacobs School of Music) serving as piano soloist.

From 2005-2009, Dr. Petersen was Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and Instructor of Music at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA where he served as Assistant Director of the Marching Virginians, Director of the Hokies Pep Band, and conductor of the University Campus Band. In addition, he taught the tuba and euphonium studio, courses in aural theory for music majors, and served as tubist in the Virginia Tech Faculty Brass Quintet. In 2007, Petersen was honored as Virginia Tech “Music Professor of The Year” by the Gamma Mu chapter of Delta Omicron and a “Favorite Faculty Member” by the Virginia Tech Department of Residence Life.

Petersen received his BME in Instrumental Music (2002), M.M. in Wind Conducting (2005) and D.M. in Wind Conducting (2013) from Indiana University. He has taught in the public schools of Texas and remains an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator of concert and marching bands in several states. From 2003-2019, he served on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic teaching tuba, euphonium and brass pedagogy.

He holds memberships in the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), National Band Association (NBA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), the Alabama Bandmasters Association, the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA), Kappa Kappa Psi, and honorary membership in Tau Beta Sigma and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.  In 2023, he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters Fraternity.  Petersen, resides in Daphne, AL with his wife Meredyth, Director of Bands at Fairhope High School, and their son, Matthew.