Overview
Director, School of Music
Director of Bands
Conducting
Dr. Timothy Shade serves as Director of the School of Music and Director of Bands at Wichita State University, where he leads the acclaimed Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band and oversees the graduate program in Wind Conducting. He also serves as Artistic Director of the Wichita Wind Symphony and conductor of the Wichita Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Dr. Shade holds degrees in euphonium and jazz trombone from Youngstown State University and earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. His previous appointments include Music Director of the Alhambra Orchestra (FL), Visiting Director of Orchestras at Florida Atlantic University, and Director of Instrumental Music at Bethel College (KS).
At Wichita State, Shade has revitalized the university’s bands, leading performances at the CBDNA Southwest Regional Convention (2018, 2023) and the Kansas Music Educators Association Conference (2017, 2023). Under his leadership, the WSU Wind Ensemble earned the 2018–19 American Prize and was an honorable mention finalist for the 2024 Ernst Bacon American Music Award. The ensemble has premiered numerous works and presented innovative collaborations integrating film, dance, and multimedia.
An active performer and arranger, Shade frequently appears with NewSpring Kansas Worship and the Brass Institutes of America and has performed at Carnegie Hall and across the country as a euphonium soloist and jazz trombonist. A dedicated advocate for new music, he has contributed to over 20 commissions and premieres, collaborating with composers such as David Maslanka, James Syler, and Paul Dooley.
Bachelor of Music in euph. & jazz tbn. perf. - Youngstown State University
Master of Music in euph. performance & inst. conducting - University of Miami
Doctor of Musical Arts in instrumental conducting - University of Miami