Gregory Wolynec

Gregory Wolynec directs the large instrumental ensembles and graduate program in instrumental conducting at Austin Peay State University (APSU). As a Professor of Music, he conducts the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble and teaches undergraduate conducting. At APSU he also conducts the annual Opera Theatre production.

Wolynec is also music director and cofounder of the professional Gateway Chamber Orchestra (GCO), which is nationally recognized for creative programming and innovative audience engagement activities. He has conducted three CDs released on the Summit and Delos labels including Wind Serenades and Chamber Symphonies, which supported Blanton Alspaugh's nomination and win respectively for the Classical Producer of the Year GRAMMY award.

Wolynec was the recipient of the APSU Socrates Award for Excellence in teaching, a campus-wide award. Ensembles under his direction have performed at national and regional conventions of the College Band Directors National Association, the Tennessee Music Educators Association Annual Conference and various other state and regional venues. Composers such as Cristina Spinei, Lee Hoiby, John Mackey and Jeffrey Wood have praised performances under his direction.

Graduates of his master's program in instrumental conducting have gone on to pursue doctoral degrees at major institutions, teach actively in the public schools and hold collegiate teaching positions. Wolynec received his MM and DMA degrees in Instrumental Conducting from Michigan State University and a BM in Music Education and Clarinet Performance from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. Wolynec has taken additional studies in conducting at the Prague Conservatory, Czech Republic.  His conducting teachers have included John Whitwell, Timothy Topolewski and Miriam Nemcova. Wolynec completed his doctoral dissertation on classical harmoniemusik as the recipient of both a Fulbright Grant to Prague, Czech Republic and a Michigan State University Graduate Merit Fellowship. His research was carried out throughout the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and France.

Prior to coming to APSU, Dr. Wolynec taught at Castleton State College in Vermont and in the public schools of New York, where his ensembles were routinely awarded Gold ratings at New York State Major Ensemble Festivals and performed on trips to major cities in the northeast. Wolynec has been an active clinician and guest conductor of orchestras and bands, including all-state and all-region ensembles, in New York, New England, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas.