Symphonic Winds

Jamal Duncan is the Associate Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Instrumental Conducting at Arizona State University. Joining the faculty in 2020, his primary responsibilities include conducting the Wind Symphony, teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting courses, and serving as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Music Studies. Prior to his appointment at ASU, Duncan served as the Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Duncan’s research and creative interests center on conducting pedagogy, wind literature, and redefining the traditional concert experience. He has presented on these topics at prominent state, national, and international conferences, including the Midwest Clinic, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).

A passionate advocate for expanding the repertoire of wind bands and chamber ensembles, Duncan actively commissions new works from both established and emerging composers. His programming deliberately highlights a diverse array of voices and cultures, bringing varied stories and perspectives to the concert stage.

Duncan is a recipient of the American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Conducting and was selected as a fellow at the Reynolds Conducting Institute. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for ensembles of all levels throughout the United States and internationally.

An experienced educator, Duncan taught in the public schools of Lansing, Michigan, for seven years, serving as the director of bands at C.W. Otto Middle School and later at Dwight Rich Middle School. For eleven seasons, he was also the music director and conductor of the Flint Youth Wind Ensemble, a premier ensemble within the Flint School of Performing Arts.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Duncan earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University, where he studied with Dr. Kevin L. Sedatole. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a dual emphasis in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan.

Duncan is an active member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), WASBE, and CBDNA, and holds honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.