Dr. Brad Townsend - Director of Bands - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Dr. Brad Townsend

Title:
Director of Bands
Email:
Phone:
412-648-8249

Dr. Brad Townsend is Director of Bands at the University of Pittsburgh and oversees the University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band, the Pep Bands and Symphonic Band. Since his appointment in 2013 the band has grown in size and performance quality. The band has performed at numerous bowl games as well as high school and college band exhibitions across the state of Pennsylvania.

Townsend, a native of Somerset, Pa., holds degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and The University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign.  He has had a wealth of experience as a band director at both the public-school level as well as the college level.  Previous to his appointment at Pitt he taught at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and Iroquois High School in Erie, Pa.

He has also directed the Pennsylvania Lions Club All State Band, and was a sousaphone performer, was one of 48(!) sousaphone players for the 1984 Olympics All-American Marching Band at the Games of the Twenty-Third Olympiad.

Townsend’s professional affiliations include the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association--the National Association for Music Education, the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu—International Bandmaster Fraternity--and the Collegiate Band Directors Association.   At the University of Pittsburgh, he holds honorary memberships in Tau Beta Sigma, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Mu Kappa Upsilon. In 2019 he was appointed Northeast District Governor of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Beyond the Bio
Favorite place on the University of Pittsburgh campus?
The Band often rehearses in the Cost Center and I always love the view of the city of Pittsburgh from right outside the Cost Center doors. I am always distracted by the city of Pittsburgh skyline.

Favorite sports moment at Pitt?
The Clemson game on Nov. 12, 2016. Enough said!

What is your favorite thing to do in the city of Pittsburgh?
I don’t have just one thing--I love that there is so much to do in Pittsburgh. It is great to be able to go to sporting events, concerts, theater, museums, bike trails, great restaurants and all kinds of festivals any time. Pittsburgh has it all!

Hobbies outside of work?
I have a lot of experience in the world of musical theater.  I’ve conducted and music directed many high school, college, and community theater productions as well as played piano in numerous pit orchestras.  My favorite thing to do is to perform on stage. I’ve been in such shows as The Producers as Max Bialystock, The Music Man as Harold Hill, The Rocky Horror Show as Dr. Frank N Furter, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown as Charlie Brown and Jesus Christ Superstar as King Herod.