Born in Ohmiya City, Japan, Mr Akiyama studied at the Musashino School of Music, the University of Tokyo School of Fine Arts and the Eastman School of Music in the USA. He has held many important positions including:- Vice President, Kantoh Band Association (1961 - 1973); Vice President, All Japan Band Association (1973 - 1983); President, Japanese Band Directors Association (1993 - 1997); Instructor, Musashino School of Music (1968 -1999) and Conductor, SONY Concert Band (1958 - 2000).

He is also an Honorary member of several organizations :- American Bandmasters Association (1983 - Present); World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles(1995 - Present); Asian Pacific Band Directors Association (Honorary President,1996 - Present) and All Japan Band Association (1999 - Present). Currently, he is the Honorary President of the Japanese Band Directors Association since 2003.

He has won many awards for his contributions to bands and is also a well-known author. Currently, Mr. Akiyama conducts "Ohmiya Wind Symphony" community band in his hometown and he is an Honorary Musical Culture Advisor for Hamamatsu city.

Dario Sotelo graduated with degrees in Piano, Violin, Viola and Fine Arts and in 1983 joined the Conservatory of Tatuí - Brazil In 1991 he received a scholarship from British Council to complete a the Master Degree in Conducting at "City University" of London, where he studied with Ezra Rachlin, disciple of the great conductor Fritz Reiner. Since 1995 Sotelo has recorded six CDs on Brazilian Composers with the Brazilian Wind Orchestra, and Paulista Symphonic Orchestra.

In 2002, along with these other positions, he became the General Coordinator of the "I South-America Regional Conference of Wind Band Composers, Arrangers and Conductors"- Tatui. Mr. Sotelo has premiered more than 40 Brazilian new compositions, commissioned by the Conservatoire of Tatui for the Brazilian Wind Orchestra, and in 2003 was elected for the WASBE Council for 5 years.

Dr. Donald DeRoche is the director of bands and Chair of the Per formance Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. His degrees are in music education and performance from the University of Illinois and Northwestern Universities. He served as clarinetist with the U.S. Army Band in Washington, D.C. and principal clarinetist with the Victoria(Canada) Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as guest artist at the Alaska Festival of Music, and soloist with the Czech, Arcturus and Vancouver quartets.

On his return to the U.S. he spent six years directing the band program at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois. During his 25 year tenure at DePaul, has conducted and toured throughout Europe and the United States. His wind ensemble can be heard on several commercial recordings.

In 1997, he was appointed Conference Secretariat to the Asian Music and Dance Conference in Education and later acted as editor for its publication in July 1999. In May 2000, he was invited by Gothenburg University, Sweden, as their Visiting Scholar. In August 2002, he was invited to make a presentation of musical practices in Singapore at a Music and Sociology Conference in Gothenburg. A little later, Eugene and collaborator Phan Ming Yen were awarded a National Arts Council Research Grant, A Narrative History of Music in Singapore; 1819 to the present. This resulted in a submission to the NAC in August 2004, and is currently awaiting further development.

He has also been active giving pre-concert talks for the SSO, writing programme notes for the new Esplanade concerts; writing for the former Esplanande Arts Magazine, making presentations on musical and acoustical aspects of Intonation for WASBE members. Eugene serves as Conference council member of WASBE (Singapore) Chapter facilitator with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK), Cultural Affairs committee of the American Chamber of Commerce, Supervisory Board at the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company. Eugene currently heads the Music Department of the Visual and Performing Arts Academic Group, National Institute of Education.

William Johnson has been Professor of Music at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California USA since 1966. He is presently coordinator of instrumental music and conducts the University Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. He has been a guest conductor, lecturer and clinician throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea and Singapore. He served as Secretary of WASBE from 1987 to 1991 and President from 1993 to 1995.

He was the Conference Chairperson for the 9th Conference held in San Luis Obispo in 1999. He is currently the Chairperson of the WASBE Foundation. Johnson is a graduate of both Indiana University and The University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he studied conducting with Dr. William D. Revelli and Prof. Elizabeth Green.

Christopher Marshall is a freelance composer born in France and currently based in New Zealand. His music has been commissioned and performed by such groups as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Verdehr Trio from Michigan, USA, and many very fine wind ensembles throughout the world. Recent events include the world premieres of the male choir and clarinet song cycle 'Tihei Mauri Ora!' in the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and of the choir and double wind ensemble cantata 'U Trau' in Leiden, Holland. A 2004 joint choral commission has seen his works performed by some of the finest choirs in the United States. One of his most frequently performed works, 'L'homme armé: Variations for Wind Ensemble' was commissioned by Timothy Reynish and premiered in Sweden in 2003.

Over the following months it has been heard by audiences in places as far apart as Norway, Singapore and New Zealand, also featuring in festivals and conferences in Montreal, Cincinnati and New York City.Christopher holds a Fellowship in Composition from Trinity College, London and a Master of Music with Honours from Auckland University in New Zealand. He was awarded the Mozart Fellowship at the University of Otago for two years from 1994 and was Fulbright Composer in Residence at the Eastman School in Rochester, New York in 1996-7. His music is notable for the importance it attaches to memorable, singable melody. Many influences can be detected, among them the music of the South Pacific. He lived and worked in Samoa from 1989 to 1993 and his choral arrangements of Samoan songs are very frequently performed, particularly in the United States.

Felix Hauswirth earned his degree in Conducting and Theory at the Lucerne Conservatory of Music in Switzerland. He is the author of several conducting and on wind ensemble literatures. He has made conducting performances in many countries and has also conducted many recordings and broadcastings with different ensembles. His music CDs received worldwide acclaim from conductors and composers. He speaks regularly at clinics all over the world. His current postings include Conductor of the Baden-Württemberg Youth Wind Ensemble, Germany; the Zug Wind Orchestra, Switzerland; Professor for conducting at the Basel and the Zurich Conservatory, Switzerland; Head of the wind band conducting course at the Bundes-Academy in Trossingen, Germany; lecturer at the Istituto Superiore Europeo Bandistico (I.S.E.B.) in Trento, Italy and Artistic Advisor in the Management of RUH Music Ltd.

His portfolio also included founding the Swiss National Youth Wind Ensemble in 1983 and conducted this Ensemble till 1993; Artistic Director for the International Festival for Contemporary Music in Uster, Switzerland (1993-2000) & he served as President of WASBE from 1997-2001.

Ito Yasuhide, born in Japan, wrote his first band composition "On the March" (1978; published by TRN) in 17 years old. He majored in composition at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He is well known for more than 60 band works, including the famous 'Gloriosa' and 'Festal Scenes'. Many of his works for wind instruments have been published and performed throughout the world. Recently he has dedicated his talents to vocal music composition and has written over 150 works. His first opera, 'Mr. Cinderella' (2000) received high acclaim making a great impact among followers of Japanese Opera. Besides his career as a composer, he is also a well-known pianist, and has co-starred with many leading players.

As a conductor. He has performed with many bands, including the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, in their 'Asian Concert Tour 2002', on behalf of maestro Frederic Fennel. He is also active as a board member of JBA (Japanese Band Directors Association), and a lecturer at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

Rodney Winther is currently in his eighth year as Director of Wind Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His duties at CCM include conducting the Wind Symphony, Chamber Winds and the CCM Chamber Players, while also teaching Masters and Doctoral students in Wind Conducting. He has been invited to conduct many of the world’s finest ensembles and to speak at numerous conventions. His workshops and concerts in Venezuela were recognized two years ago, when he was awarded the Otorga Botón Honor al Mérito by the Governor of the State of Tachira – the first American to receive this honor. His book - An Annotated Guide to Wind Chamber Music - has already been hailed as a much needed and valuable resource in this ever-growing area, and is published by Warner Brothers Publications. His reputation and experience recently resulted in his being selected for inclusion in “Who’s Who in Fine Arts Higher Education”.

Timothy Reynish studied horn with Aubrey Brain, was a music-scholar at Cambridge and played professionally for several years. Conducting studies were with Hurst, Groves, Boult, Dixon and Ferrara. He conducted the CBSO, the RLPO, the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC Orchestras and the LSO as well as concerts in Norway, Holland and Germany. In 1975 he became tutor for Postgraduate Conducting at the RNCM, later succeeding Philip Jones as Head of School of Wind & Percussion.

He has commissioned over sixty works for various ensembles, has worked extensively in Europe, Asia, North and South America and for ten years was Wind Editor with Novello; he is now Editor with Maecenas. He held Professorships at Florida State, Baylor, and the University of Kentucky, and was President of WASBE from 2001 until 2002.

Evan Feldman is Director of Bands at Central College, in Pella, Iowa, where he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, teaches conducting, orchestration, and instrumental methods, and serves as Assistant Department Chairperson. He is also founder and conductor of the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble. He earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied conducting with Donald Hunsberger and Mendi Rodan and served as Assistant Conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Wind Orchestra. In Spring 2001, he was Visiting Instructor of Conducting at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. Dr. Feldman received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his Masters from Ithaca College, studying with Michael Votta and Rodney Winther.

He is an active clinician and guest conductor and his writings have been published in The Instrumentalist, Iowa Bandmaster Magazine, and MENC Music Educators Journal. He recently presented a paper on the chamber wind music of Sergei Prokofiev at the IGEB conference (International Society for the Promotion and Investigation of Wind Band Music) in Oberwolz, Austria.

Dr Strange is Director of Bands/Professor of Music, Emeritus at Arizona State University. Presently he is the Music Director and Founding Conductor of the Tempe Symphony Orchestra. He received degrees from Wichita State University, the University of Colorado (Boulder), and Boston University. He has conducted, judged and given clinics in many countries. Strange's accolades include Distinguished Service to Music Medal given by Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity (Wichita, KS) in Dec '91; Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts award sponsored by the National Band Association in Dec '95; Wichita State University Distinguished Alumnus Award in Sep '96; Arizona Music Educators Association named Strange "Music Educator of the Year" in Jan '98; annual award by AMEA since '64 and Medal of Honor "for his Major Contribution to Music Education" at Mid-West International Clinic in Dec' 03.

He also held important positions including Director of Bands at Carnegie-Mellon University (1961-74); conductor of Carnegie Civic Symphony Orchestra and the Butler County Symphony Orchestra; past president and secretary of American Bandmasters Association and Past President of the College Band Directors National Association.

Adam Gorb (born in 1958) studied Music at Cambridge University and Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has written pieces for a wide range of instrumental and vocal forces. His compositions for wind ensemble are performed worldwide and have had numerous recordings. Notable works include Metropolis which won the Walter Beeler Memorial Prize in the USA in 1994, Awayday and Yiddish Dances which are in the repertoire of wind ensembles throughout the world and Elements, a Percussion Concerto for Evelyn Glennie and the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Ensemble.

Recent works include Downtown Diversions, a trombone concerto premiered by the Texas Tech Wind Ensemble in 2001, Towards Nirvana, which was first performed by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Ensemble in October 2002 and Dances from Crete premiered in London in November 2003. Adam Gorb is Head of School of Composition and Contemporary Music at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Born in 1944, Bastiaan Blomhert studied musicology at the University of Utrecht and viola and conducting at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Blomhert earned his Ph. D. in 1987 and was the professor of music history in the Conservatories of Utrecht and Arnhem, where he also coached chamber music and taught instrumentation. Since the late 1970s, when he founded the Oktopus Wind Ensemble his field became the classical wind band music, both in the concert hall or the recording studio as conductor and as researching musicologist. Blomhert has toured all over the world and his editions and arrangements were published by Breitkopf & Härtel, Chester, Doblinger, Molenaar and others and are frequently performed. His lecturing and teaching activities include appearances at many universities and schools of music, e.g. the Royal College of Music (London) in 1999, Cornell University (Ithaca) in 1999 and at congresses, e.g. WASBE in 2001 (Luzern) and the CBDNA (Minneapolis) in 2003. Blomhert is married and lives in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Mark Fonder, professor of music, is the conductor of the Ithaca College Concert Band, Ithaca, New York, and has been teaching conducting and instrumental music education courses at Ithaca College since 1989. He is active as a guest conductor, adjudicator, school music consultant, and clinician throughout the United States. Dr. Fonder is a graduate of Lawrence University and a two-time fellowship recipient at the University of Illinois. Internationally, he has guest conducted, given research presentations or adjudicated bands in Austria, Japan, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom. He has written over 30 articles on bands and music education and has been published in various journals including the Music Educators Journal, Winds, Instrumentalist, Journal of Band Research, and the Journal of Research in Music Education. He was chair of the Music Educators Journal Editorial Committee from 1998-2002 and is currently editor of the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education.

Dr. Holcomb became Director of Bands at the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1999 after being Director of Bands for 20 years at Central College in Pella, Iowa. At SUNY Fredonia, Dr. Holcomb oversees an extensive band program consisting of four concert bands while she conducts the Wind Ensemble and musicals. In addition, she initiated the Master of Music in Conducting degree program and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting. Highly sought after as an adjudicator and guest conductor, Dr. Holcomb has conducted bands and orchestras in 39 states, South America, Australia, Mexico, Europe, and Canada. She has presented Conducting Symposiums in Canada, South America, Australia and the United States.

Her portfolio included former assistant horn of the Des Moines Symphony; past president of the Iowa Music Educators Association; member of the Council and Artistic Planning Conference Committee for the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, board member of the Conductors Guild and is currently Northeastern Division President-elect of the College Band Directors National Association. Recently, she was presented with the A. Frank Miller award from Kappa Kappa Psi.

Born in Box Hill, Victoria, Australia, Ralph began his professional music career as a trumpet player in 1970 and performed with many bands. He is now the Head of Pre Tertiary Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and conducts the Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra. To date, he has produced 185 works and his compositions have been performed widely within Australia and internationally. He also conducts and speaks at many famous orchestras and clinics. Ralph's porfolio includes being founding member of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors' Association (ABODA - the Australian affiliate of WASBE); current WASBE member and was ABODA's national president and twice as state president.

His accolades include Citation of Excellence, the Australian Band & Orchestra Directors' Association's highest honour in '98; nomination for the prestigious Sammy and Penguin Awards for his television soundtracks and twice won the coveted Yamaha Composer of the Year Award. Ralph now resides in Newmarket, Queensland, with his wife Julie and two of his five children.

Cynthia is a faculty member with the summer Performing Arts Institute at Pennsylvannia's Wyoming Seminary, a guest conductor with the Syracuse Society of New Music, and an active festival adjudicator and clinician in both the United States and Canada. A Canadian, Cynthia completed her Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees at Queens University and her Masters in Music Education and Conducting at the University of Victoria. Her accolades include nomination for the Canadian Prime Minister's Leadership in Teaching Award; National Leadership in Education Award (Readers Digest Foundation), Excellence in Education Award (Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation); Marion Drysdale Leadership Among Women Teachers award (OSSTF) and Eastman Graduate Teaching Award in conducting.

At Cornell, Cynthia is the Director of Wind Ensembles, overseeing the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and CUWinds, a student-governed organization devoted to the promotion and performance of wind music. She has commissioned numerous new works for wind band and continues to actively promote commissions by today's leading composers, often involving collaborations with other art mediums.

Virginia Allen is a member of the conducting faculty at The Juilliard School in New York City and Artistic Director of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Workshops in Idaho. A former conductor with the U.S. Army Bands, she was the first woman conductor of The U.S. Army Field Band and The Soldiers' Chorus in Washington, D.C., The U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, The U.S. Army Forces Command Band in Atlanta, and the West Point Glee Club. Miss Allen is also a published composer and arranger, and her music has been premiered, performed and recorded by members of the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Washington Opera Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, the Juilliard Trombone Choir, The U.S. Army Band, The U.S. Army Field Band, and The U.S. Military Academy Band.

Frederick Speck is a faculty member at the University of Louisville, where he directs the Wind Symphony and New Music Ensemble, and teaches conducting and composition. He has twice received the University of Louisville President's Award for distinguished scholarship and creativity. Representative performances include the Louisville Orchestra, the Denver Symphony, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, Speculum Musicae, Synchronia, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and international venues such as the 2001 Hoxton New Music Days in London, UK. Speck has received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission and the Barlow Endowment. Described as "vivid, driven music" by the New York Times, his Philomel's Refrain was winner of the 1995 Speculum Musicae Competition. Speck earned both bachelors and masters degrees at Bowling Green State University, and a doctorate at the University of Maryland. His professional affiliations include WASBE, CBDNA, ABA, Phi Beta Mu and MENC.

Sailen Kumar Roy started his music lessons with Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh. He later took lessons from Pandit Shamal Bose and Narahari Raut. In 1979, Sailen Kumar Roy received his Sangeet Visharad certificate from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh. He continuously furthered his interest in Tabla. He received his Sangeet Bivakar certificate in 1980 from Bangiya Sangeet Parishad, West Bengal and Sangeet Pravakar certificate in 1993 from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad. Since 1993, Sailen Kumar Roy is also a regular 'B' High-grade Tabla Artiste with All-India-Radio and Television, Kolkata. He started Bivamayee Musical Institution in 1997 and began grooming young students in Tabla. The Institution is associated with the Chandigarh University. For the past 30 years, various musical associations have engaged Sailen Kumar Roy for stage performances. He has performed with renowned artistes like Tejendra Narayan Majumder, Samarendra Nath Shikder, Nirmala Mishra, Anup Ghoshal and Sri Kumar Chaterjee. He is also an active member of the Kolkata Cine Music Association. He joined the SIFAS Academy as Tabla Tutor in July 2005.

Mr. Chandranathan started his music lessons with Gopi Mohan Bose. He later took lessons from the famous Sitar Player Shyamal Chatterjee. He then took master classes from the internationally famous Sitar Maestro Padmabhushan Pandit Debu Chowdhury of the Senia Jaipur Gharana. The Senias of this Gharana play the traditional sitar with 17 frets and distinct stroke patterns maintaining the principles of ragas. Chandranath is a gold medallist from Delhi University in MA Music. He is a regular B High-grade artist with All-India-Radio and Television, New Delhi. He established himself as the Best performer with credit at Sitar recitals all over India. He possesses an excellent style in playing of the Sitar. He joined the SIFAS Academy as a Sitar & Hindustani Vocal Teacher in July 2003.

Mr. Saravanan, a noted flutist is a disciple of the late K.S. Narayanan, late V. Sundaresan, Nagai R. Muralidharan and Padmasri Dr. N. Ramani. He is a graded artiste with All-India-Radio and a graduate of Indian Music from Madras University. Apart from giving solo recitals, he has accompanied many music stalwarts like Padhma Vibooshan Dr. M. Balamurali Krishnan, Mr. T.N. Rajagopalan and Mr. A.K.C. Natarajan. He has received several awards and titles for his performances, in particular, the Senior Fellowship from the Government of India and the Yuvakalabarathy award. He was a Flute lecturer with the Tamil Nadu Government Music College. He joined the SIFAS Academy as a Carnatic Vocal and Flute Teacher in January 2004.

Mr. Sunderesan had his initial training under his father T.V. Rangarajan and later under Maestro Dr. Yella Venkateswara Rao. He has a Diploma in Mridangam and is an A Grade artist with All-India-Radio, Chennai. He lectured at Kalakshetra, College of Fine Arts, Chennai for 18 years and has accompanied many music stalwarts in India and around the world. He is the co-author of "Eloquent Percussion - A Guide to South Indian Rhythm". He joined the SIFAS Academy as an Mridangam Teacher in January 2004.

Keith Kinder is currently Associate Professor of Music in the School of the Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he conducts the McMaster Chamber Orchestra and the McMaster Concert Band, and is responsible for the direction of the Music Education program. Prior to his appointment at McMaster, Dr. Kinder served on the faculty of the University of Prince Edward Island and taught instrumental music for many years in the schools of Nova Scotia. He holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario (B. Mus. - Music Education), Northwestern University (M. Mus. - Trombone Performance), and the University of Colorado (D.M.A.-Instrumental Conducting). An internationally recognized researcher in the area of wind music, Dr. Kinder appears regularly at conferences all over the world, and publishes frequently in recognized journals dedicated to his primary research interest.

Eric Ewazen's music has been performed by major chamber ensembles, wind ensembles and orchestras throughout the world. His music for brass instruments have become staples of the repertoire. His music for wind ensemble includes "A Hymn for the Lost and the Living", an In Memoriam for 9/11, "Southern Landscapes", commissioned by the South East Conference of U.S. Bands, "Shadowcatcher", a concerto for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble, recorded by the American Brass Quintet and the Juilliard Wind Ensemble, "Legacy", written for the Bi-Centennial of West Point, "Flight" written to celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight for the Heritage of America Band at Langley AFB, "Visions of Light", a concerto for trombone and band for Joseph Alessi and the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, commissioned by IU and Midwest and "Danzante" a concerto for trumpet and band, commissioned by CBDNA for Allen Vizzutti. His music is published by Southern Music Company, and can be heard on recordings on labels such as EMI Classics, Albany, Well-Tempered, New World, Hyperion, Helicon, d'Note, Resonator Records and Summit. Receiving a BM from Eastman, and MM and DMA degrees from Juilliard, He has been a member of the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1980.