Hunter Kopczynski
Conductor | Educator
Hunter Kopczynski is a conductor and music educator currently based in Asheville, North Carolina where he serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Mars Hill University. At MHU, he conducts the Wind Symphony, teaches conducting and courses in music education, and co-directs the Mountain Lion Marching Band. In addition to his role at MHU, Kopczynski is the music director and conductor of the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra.
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Kopczynski earned the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University. He also completed a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in Music from Virginia Tech. His principal conducting teachers are Kevin L. Sedatole and Travis J. Cross.
Since coming to Mars Hill University, Kopczynski has championed new initiatives like the MHU Honor Band and rejuvenated the annual Summer Music Camp. He serves the university in various leadership capacities, including as a faculty mentor on the Quality Enhancement Committee. While at Michigan State, he was active in all aspects of the conducting and band programs in the College of Music, including directing the Campus Band, the new music ensemble: Musique21, and teaching conducting. Additionally, he served as the assistant conductor of the MSU Wind Symphony, conducted and taught each of the major concert bands, and assisted with athletic bands and the MSU Opera Theatre. He also served the broader campus community as a Leadership Fellow in the Graduate School.
Recent artistic projects include collaborations with composers David Biedenbender, Anna Clyne, and Elena Specht; soprano Michelle Johnson; pianist Zhao Wang; Musique21 and the Maryland Chamber Winds.
Kopczynski taught for seven years in the public schools of Virginia. Teaching middle and high school music in Roanoke County and most recently in Williamsburg-James City County. While teaching, he was a leader in the Virginia music education community: frequently hosting and chairing many state and regional events, serving on committees, and as a District Chairperson for the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association. He is an active adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor, and has presented at state and regional music education conferences. He holds professional membership in the College Band Directors National Association and the National Association for Music Education.
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In his research and teaching, Hunter is especially interested in the intersection of experience and curriculum to create healthy ensemble culture. As a Leadership Fellow for the MSU Graduate School, he worked to better understand learning environments and diverse approaches to pedagogy. His current research interest is teaching conducting in a way that supports an open philosophy of music education and raising the level of performance through celebrating student experience. In all of this work, his primary goal is creating a learning culture where students are supported and enabled to perform at the highest possible levels with an authenticity in bringing themselves to the music.
