Associate Professor of Music Dr. Christopher P. Heidenreich began serving at the Louisiana Tech as Director of Bands in the fall of 2021. Prior work includes twelve years at the University of Michigan-Flint, three years at Youngstown State University as well as fourteen teaching public school in Ohio. He holds a Doctor of Music in Wind Conducting from Indiana University (2006), a Master of Arts in Music Education from The Ohio State University (1998), and a Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University (1989) where he graduated cum laude. In 2002, he was awarded the American School Band Directors Association's “Distinguished Band Director” Award for Ohio and the North Central Region, and in 2013 UM-Flint awarded him the Faculty Distinguished Service Award. The Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association granted him with an Honorary Membership for service to the state in 2020. He served as the conductor of the Washtenaw Community Concert Band of Ann Arbor, MI, from 2011-2021, and now is the music director and conductor of the Russ-Town Band, of Ruston, LA.
Heidenreich studied conducting under the mentorship of Richard Blatti, Ray E. Cramer, Mark S. Kelly, and Stephen W. Pratt. He held various guest conducting responsibilities with each of the wind bands while working on his doctorate at Indiana University, and continued trumpet study with Professor Joey Tartell. His doctoral project, completed in partial fulfillment of the degree, included creating a new edition of Gordon Jacob’s An Original Suite, composed in 1924. His new editions of the Jacob and Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor receive regular national and international performances.
He and his wife Beth reside in Ruston, LA, and have two children; Jillian, who holds a doctorate in Occupational Therapy and practicing and living in Vasalia, California; and, Daniel, a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force currently serving with the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
Heidenreich studied conducting under the mentorship of Richard Blatti, Ray E. Cramer, Mark S. Kelly, and Stephen W. Pratt. He held various guest conducting responsibilities with each of the wind bands while working on his doctorate at Indiana University, and continued trumpet study with Professor Joey Tartell. His doctoral project, completed in partial fulfillment of the degree, included creating a new edition of Gordon Jacob’s An Original Suite, composed in 1924. His new editions of the Jacob and Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1 in G Minor receive regular national and international performances.
He and his wife Beth reside in Ruston, LA, and have two children; Jillian, who holds a doctorate in Occupational Therapy and practicing and living in Vasalia, California; and, Daniel, a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force currently serving with the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.