Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant serves as Associate Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University, Director of the Duke University Wind Symphony, Director of Undergraduate Studies for the music department, and Artistic Director & conductor of the Durham Medical Orchestra.

Verena grew up in Eberschwang, Austria. She began piano lessons at the age of 6, continuing later with church organ, flute, and bassoon.

Her conducting debut at age 16 was followed by a three-year fundamental conducting course taught by Johann Mösenbichler. Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant then studied symphony orchestra conducting with Ingo Ingensand at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz, Upper Austria, and received her bachelor’s degree, with distinction, in 2005. She completed her Master of Music in 2007 with Kevin Sedatole at Michigan State University. Verena graduated in May 2009 with her DMA in Wind Ensemble Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin where her principal conducting teacher was Jerry Junkin.

Professional engagements have included three years as the conductor of the Hofkirchen community band, conducting the youth band of Eberschwang, conductor of the UNCSA Wind Ensemble and she currently serves as Executive Director of the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project, and the World Adult Wind Orchestra Project of the annual Mid-Europe festival in Schladming, Austria (www.mideurope.at).

Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant’s transcription of John Corigliano’s Grammy-winning work, Mr. Tambourine Man, for Wind Ensemble and Amplified Soprano, published by G. Schirmer, has received strong praise from the composer, and has received numerous performances since its 2009 premiere. She has also published an article in GIA’s respected Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. Verena serves frequently as cover conductor for the North Carolina Symphony, and as guest conductor and clinician across the United States, Japan, as well as in her native Austria.

Jenifer Elaine Kechulius is an American music educator and performer currently living in Zürich, Switzerland. She teaches saxophone, clarinet, voice, piano and recorder to nearly 40 private students.

Jenie received her Bachelors of Music in Saxophone Performance from Purdue University Fort Wayne (previously IPFW) where she would later teach private saxophone lessons and direct the saxophone choir as a limited term lecturer, as well as work as the assistant band director under Dr. Chad Nicholson. 

She received her Masters of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of South Carolina (Dr. Cliff Leaman) where she also studied music history. While at USC she worked as a teaching assistant in music entrepreneurship, as an instructor of music appreciation, director of the New Horizons Bands, and as an administrative assistant to the School of Music and the Southeastern Piano Festival (Marina Lomazov). Additionally, she enjoyed performing with the Spartanburg Symphony Orchestra (SC), the Florence Symphony Orchestra (SC) and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra (GA).

After grad school Jenie relocated to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois where she first worked as the Program Director of the Champaign School of Music, a private music academy. Here she also taught private woodwind lessons. She then went on to work at the University of Illinois as the Executive Director and Marketing Director of Sinfonia da Camera (Ian Hobson). 

Jenie is the Manager of the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project as well as the saxophone section coach.

Dr. Serena Weren is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Illinois Chicago. She earned her DMA in wind band conducting from Arizona State University under the direction of Gary W. Hill and Wayne Bailey. She also holds a BA in music and geology from Franklin & Marshall College, a BM in music education from Temple University, and a MM in instrumental conducting and a MMEd both from Arkansas State University. 

Previously, she was the Director of Bands at Loyola University New Orleans, as well as Middletown High School South and River Plaza Elementary School in New Jersey. Dr. Weren is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for concert and marching bands and has worked with notable organizations such as the Brooklyn Wind Symphony, the Acadian Wind Symphony, the Mid-Europe Festival in Austria, and the first National Marching Band Camp in Guatemala. 

Her current research interests include investigating our social and physiological relationship to music making, especially in the ensemble setting, and furthering health and wellness knowledge and advocacy for musicians. 

Nathaniel Maxwell is a current master's student in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma from Everett, Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Duke University and has performed with a variety of ensembles, including the Duke Symphony Orchestra and the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project. His musical background includes training in composition, trumpet, and conducting, and he received numerous awards at Duke for his musical accomplishments, including the Henry Schumann Music Prize, the Julia Wilkinson Mueller Prize for Excellence in Music, and the Louis Sudler Prize. He also was a place winner in the Donna Turner Smith Piano Competition at the University of Oklahoma. His current and former teachers include JP Murphy and David Heid.