Dwayne S Milburn

Dwayne S. Milburn

Biography

Major Dwayne S. Milburn (b. 1963, Baltimore, Maryland) is an American composer, conductor and military officer.

In 1986, Dr. Milburn graduated from UCLA with a BFA in music and received a Master's of Music in orchestral conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1992. He received his Ph.D. in music from UCLA in 2009.

During his undergraduate career, Maj. Milburn was an arranger for the UCLA band and choral programs, as well as the Special Projects Division of ABC-TV. Upon graduation, he became the director of cadet music for the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, serving as the conductor for the internationally renowned West Point Glee Club. During graduate studies in Cleveland, he contributed several arrangements to the Cleveland Orchestra.

Prior to his Ph.D. studies, Maj. Milburn served as one of 24 commissioned officer conductors in the United States Army Band Program. His assignments included duties as the associate bandmaster for the U.S. Continental Army Band, Fort Monroe, Virginia; The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” Washington, DC; and the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus, Heidelberg, Germany. He also commanded the Army Ground Forces Band in Atlanta, Georgia. Since he completed his Ph.D. studies, he resumed his military service and currently serves as the commander and conductor of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus in Heidelberg. Among his military honors are the President Benjamin Harrison Award, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the NATO Medal.

Maj. Milburn is active as a composer, conductor, and adjudicator. He has received commissions from the instrumental programs at UCLA, the University of North Texas, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His choral and wind ensemble works are published by the Alfred, Kjos and Ludwig Masters Music companies.

Several of his works for band, including American Hymnsong Suite, Variations on "St. Patrick's Breastplate", and Emerald Suite are featured in volumes six through eight of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, edited by Richard Miles.

From 2005-2009, Major Milburn was the composer-in-residence for the Music Guild of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (Pacific Palisades, California). During that time he wrote three major works for the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and contributed over 25 anthems, several psalm settings, and a major service music setting to the parish choral music program. Major Milburn continues to serve as an instrumental adjudicator for the Heritage Music Festival series, and is currently completing commissioned works for Pacific Serenades Chamber Ensemble (Los Angeles, California) and Vocal Arts Ensemble (Ann Arbor, Michigan).

In 2022, Dr. Milburn was teaching composition and conducting at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Works for Winds

• American Hymnsong Suite (2007)
• Chesapeake Breeze (2018)
• Cuban Overture (as arranger) (1925/)
• Emerald Suite (2008)
• Fantasy on American Folk Songs (2009/2016)
• Festival Overture on "The Star-Spangled Banner" (as arranger)
• Garrison Commander (2008)
• Hallowed Grounds (2021)
• Meditation (2010)
• Moonlight Memories
• Songs in the Key of Stevie (as arranger, with Hernandez)
• Standard of Leadership (2012)
• Steadfast Leadership (2009)
• Variations on "St. Patrick's Breastplate" (2005)

Resources

• Boise State University Symphonic Winds concert program, 4 March 2015
• Cummings, Paul. "Meditation." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 9, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 184-192. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2013.
• Dwayne S. Milburn, Wikipedia accessed 13 September 2017
• Henigin, Jim. "Variations on 'St. Patrick's Breastplate'." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 6, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 715-720. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2007.
• The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 422.
• University of North Texas University Band concert program, 13 April 2016
• Zembower, Christian "American Hymnsong Suite." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 6, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 435-447. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2007.