We are proud to share that Dr. Kevin Sedatole is the recipient of a coveted William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award for his contributions to Michigan State University. He received the award at a ceremony on campus this month. 

Dr. Sedatole is a foremost wind band conductor, with a comprehensive and sustained record of excellence in performance, instruction, and service. He leads the master’s and doctoral programs in wind conducting; the doctoral program is highly selective, with a 100 percent record of employment. His teaching and mentorship of graduate students includes their participation in rehearsals and performances of all the ensembles, including regular opportunities to be on stage with the MSU Wind Symphony. A champion of contemporary music, Dr. Sedatole regularly commissions new works for wind band and provides opportunities for students to work with renowned composers on these pieces. Under Dr. Sedatole’s direction, the MSU Wind Symphony has given numerous featured performances at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the national conventions of the College Band Directors’ National Association, and the national conventions of the American Bandmasters Association. 

Dr. Sedatole’s commitment to teaching reaches throughout the entire band program, which enrolls more than 700 students in seven concert bands: the Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, Concert Band, Chamber Winds, Campus Bands, Spartan Marching Band, and Spartan Brass. Additionally, he initiated the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony (SYWS), which welcomes talented Michigan high school students for intensive weekly ensemble and chamber music rehearsals. Each Sunday, SYWS musicians learn to work together, culminating in a concert shared with the MSU Wind Symphony at Wharton Center every semester. One of Dr. Sedatole’s greatest strengths is that his effectiveness on the podium maximizes the potential of the ensembles with which he works, from high school to collegiate to professional. 

Dr. Sedatole’s numerous invitations to perform at leading music conferences, conventions, and venues speak to his professional-level conducting. His talent as a conductor inspires musicians to reach beyond their musical limits while making MSU a national destination for graduate conducting students. His record of engagements includes the U.S. Army Band, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, and major ensembles in Austria, Tokyo, Taiwan, Spain, Germany, and Australia – and more than 22 national conducting symposia, including many at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Sedatole’s conducting has earned accolades from such prominent composers as Robert Beaser, John Corigliano, Michael Colgrass, and many others. 

For his commitment to music education at all levels, his outstanding accomplishments as a conductor, and his ongoing leadership in the advancement of all MSU concert bands, Dr. Kevin Sedatole is most deserving of the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award.

Congratulations Dr. Sedatole!