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Demondrae "Big D" Thurman - Trombone
Demondrae Thurman is the Instructor of Low Brass and Conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Alabama State University, where he has been on the faculty since 1998. A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he studied euphonium, trombone and conducting at the University of Alabama and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While studying in Tuscaloosa, he was the first undergraduate to ever solo with the Alabama Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Gerald Welker. In 1995, with that ensemble, he also premiered Sinfonia Concertante by Dr. Frederic Goosen. In Madison, he was a featured soloist with the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble as well as several high school bands in the area. His primary teachers are James Jenkins, J. Michael Dunn, and John Stevens.
Since joining the faculty of Alabama State University, Mr. Thurman has being
extremely active as a soloist and clinician throughout North America. He has
been a guest artist and/or adjudicator at the 2000 U.S. Army Ground Forces
Tuba/Euphonium Conference, 1999 and 2001 U.S. Army Band Annual Tuba/Euphonium
Conferences, the 1999 Southeastern Tuba/Euphonium Conference and the 2000
International Tuba/Euphonium Conference held in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. In
2002, he will be a guest artist at the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference
held in Greensboro, NC and the prestigious Leonard Falcone Euphonium/Tuba
Competition held at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Blue Lake, MI. As a champion
of contemporary music, Mr. Thurman has premiered numerous works for solo
euphonium including Soliloquies by John Stevens in October of 2000.
Equally in demand as a trombonist, Mr. Thurman has performed with the Alabama
Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Hot Springs Festival Orchestra, and as a member
of the Tuscaloosa Horns with such Motown recording artists as The Temptations,
The Four Tops and The Supremes.
Demondrae Thurman is a Boosey and Hawkes Performing artist and plays Besson
euphoniums exclusively.