Jamal Duncan

Jamal Duncan joined the faculty of Arizona State University in Fall of 2020 as associate director of bands and assistant professor of instrumental conducting. His primary responsibilities are conducting the Wind Symphony and teaching classes in conducting. Prior to his appointment at ASU, Duncan served as the assistant director of bands at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Duncan’s research interests include conducting pedagogy, wind literature, and re-defining the traditional concert experience. He has presented on these topics at various state and international conferences including the Midwest Clinic. 

An ardent supporter of growing the repertoire of wind bands and chamber ensembles, Duncan is actively involved in the commissioning of new works from established and emerging composers, including Steven Bryant, Andrea Clearfield, Viet Cuong, Kevin Day, Giovanni Santos, Alex Shapiro, Jim Territo, and Dana Wilson.

Duncan is also committed to programming music that tells the stories of different cultures with an intentional focus on the diverse composers who tell these stories.

A winner of the 2022 American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble conducting, Duncan has conducted and adjudicated middle school, high school, and collegiate ensembles in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and internationally in Canada, England and France. In the 2021 he was a fellow at Reynolds Conducting Institute held in conjunction with the Midwest Clinic.

Duncan taught in the public schools of Lansing, Michigan for seven years where was director of bands at C.W. Otto Middle School then director of bands at Dwight Rich Middle School. For eleven seasons, Duncan was the music director and conductor of the Flint Youth Wind Ensemble, one of several youth ensembles in the Flint School of Performing Arts.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Duncan received the doctor of musical arts in wind conducting and a master of music in wind conducting degrees from Michigan State University where he studied with Dr. Kevin L. Sedatole. Duncan received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Michigan with a dual emphasis in clarinet performance and music education.

He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, The National Association for Music Education, and the College Band Directors National Association. He holds honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.