Dr. Stephen Gage
Director of Bands

2047 Bliss Hall
330/941-1832 (studio)
330/941-1490 (fax)
slgage@ysu.edu

Stephen Gage is Instrumental Music Coordinator, Professor of Conducting, and Director of Bands at Youngstown State University (YSU). He earned a doctorate at the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign, a masters degree at the Eastman School of Music, and a bachelors degree and the Performer's Certificate at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Prior to his current position, Dr. Gage was the Director of Bands at Emporia State University (KS) and was the Director of Bands at Auburn High School in upstate New York. At YSU he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, is assistant conductor of the Dana Symphony Orchestra, and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting.

Dr. Gage begins his fourteenth season as the music director and conductor of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra (YSYO). He has numerous publications including articles in the Kansas Music Review Journal, in the Ohio Music Educators Journal, TRIAD, and in the National Band Association (NBA) Journal and NBA Newsletter. He was recently elected as to the Board of Directors of the National Band Association, and has been a member of the NBA School Reform Committee, the ABA Ostwald Selection Committee and served a four-year term as the NBA North Central Division Chair. His many professional credits include serving as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for all state, sectional, regional, and district high school concert bands and orchestras across the United States, Ireland, and Canada. Gage has guest conducted the U.S. Army Band: Pershing's Own and the U.S. Army Field Band.

Under Stephen's direction the YSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) and the YSYO were guest performers at the 1998, 2000, & 2006 OMEA State Music Conventions and the YSYO appeared again at the 2002 North Central MENC/OMEA Convention in Cleveland. In April of 2002 the YSU SWE appeared in a feature performance at the Music Educators National Association (MENC) Biennial Convention in Nashville, Tennessee and in March 2005 the ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut on the showcase concert of the New York Wind Band Festival. The SWE also was a guest performer at the 1996 CBDNA Convention in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The SWE has recorded and released five compact discs: Lions, Jesters and Dragons, Oh My (1998), Star Wars and Other Scores (2000), Carnival (2002), Spin Cycle (2004), and Tipping Points (2006). Spin Cycle was the 2004 Downbeat Award winner for the university symphonic band recording. Gage's groups have also performed at state music conventions in Kansas and New York. During recent year's Stephen and the SWE have drawn praise from composers, Karel Husa, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Colgrass, Samuel Adler, Frank Ticheli, David Gillingham, and Anthony Iannacone for interpretation and performances of their music.

In addition to his conducting career, Dr. Gage has performed with the Erie Philharmonic (PA), the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (IL), the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra (OH), and the Jimmy Dorsey Jazz Orchestra; and he was a marimba concerto soloist with the Fredonia Symphony Orchestra. He served on the Board of Advisors for the St. Patrick's Day Festival in Dublin, Ireland, and in May of 1999 he was selected as Distinguished Professor at YSU. Professor Gage's biography has been listed on five occasions in the Who's Who Among America's Teachers Journal.

Dr. Gage's professional affiliations include a March 1999 induction into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association (ABA). He is also a member of the CBDNA, NBA, OMEA/MENC, Kappa Kappa Psi, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Kappa Phi.

Other pages of interest:
YSU Marching Pride
Symphonic Wind Ensemble