German Gonzalez is the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Golden Gate Park Band
Dr. Gonzalez earned a D.M.A. from Arizona State University, Herberger School of Music where he studied music education, and conducting with Gary Hill. He received a B.A. in music from San Jose State and a Masters in Conducting from CSU, Sacramento where he studied with Robert Halseth. He is grateful for his other conducting mentors: Frederick Fennell, Jack Stamp, John Whitwell, and Alan McMurray.
He is a recently retired music educator and taught music at every school level, from elementary general music to middle and high school instrumental music programs to college and university positions. His final position was at Taylor Middle School in Millbrae. Dr. Gonzalez also was the Music Director and Conductor for the SF Civic Symphony 2010-15, and due to his leadership he was recognized as a “mover and shaker” in the SF community by LAMM, an organization of Latin American business people. He also directed a Jefferson Union HS District Adult Community Band where he was named the “Hometown Maestro” in the Pacifica Magazine. He coaches the brass section for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra.
German has served in music university positions at St. Cloud State University and at Oregon State University. In these two similar positions he taught conducting, music education, and directed the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Dr. Gonzalez was one of the first University Conductors to stream concerts on the internet at both universities. During his time in Sacramento he resurrected the concert band program at Cosumnes River College.
His musical adventures focused on community across the country: the SF Area, Sacramento, Tempe/Phoenix, St Cloud and Minneapolis, MN, Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, WA. With every community experience, Gonzalez has actively participated in community music groups either as a conductor or trumpet player. In Oregon, he was the Music Director and Conductor for the Eugene Symphonic Band, a select community band for 5 years. As a trumpeter, he played in community orchestras, bands, chamber groups, and music theater.
Since childhood, his passion for music was inspired by Latin American rhythm and annual school field trips to the SF Symphony children’s concerts. His first participation with community bands began in the summer after his freshman year in high school. He grew up in Pacifica, CA. In his retirement he currently lives is Sacramento again, and is a freelance musician as well as a music director of a swing band.
An extensive interview of Maestro Gonzalez from the San Francisco Senior Beat is linked here.
Dr Robert Halseth – guest Conductor July 14 and July 28
Dr. Robert Halseth is Conductor/Music Director of Sierra Nevada Winds Orchestra and Director of Bands Emeritus at California State University, Sacramento, a position he held from 1993- 2016. He is the founder and co-clinician of the NorCal Wind Conducting Workshop, which each June since 1994 has featured some of the finest wind conductors and conducting teachers in the world, including Mallory Thompson, H. Robert Reynolds, Frederick Fennell, Allan McMurray, Gary Hill, Craig Kirchhoff, Eugene Corporon and Jack Stamp.
He holds two degrees in music from California State University, Fresno, and the Doctor of Arts degree in wind conducting and brass pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado, where his primary professors were Eugene Migliaro Corporon and Buddy Baker.
He has conducted instrumental music at all levels, elementary through professional, since 1966. At the college/university level, he served on the music faculties of Carroll College (Wisconsin) and University of the Pacific (Stockton, California) prior to accepting his position at Sacramento State in 1993.
Dr. Halseth led CSUS ensembles in performance in Carnegie Hall, the Mondavi Center, Atherton Auditorium and the Faye Spanos Concert Hall, and also conducted performances in Singapore, Guam, Hawaii, and at conferences of the California Band Directors Association, California Music Educators Association, Colorado Music Educators Association, Iowa Intercollegiate Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, and the International Trombone Association. He received the Dave Goedecke Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Band Directors Association and in 2016 was inducted into the California Music Educators Hall of Fame.
His 40-year career as a bass trombonist includes performances with Bobby McFerrin, Manhattan Transfer, Cab Calloway, Johnny Mathis, Frankie Avalon, Bob Hope, Telly Savalas, Vic Damone, Diahann Carroll, Shari Lewis, Don Menza, Mike Vax, Urbie Green, George Roberts, Ralph Sauer, Beverly Sills, Pierre Fournier, Paul Vermel, Piero Gamba, Arthur Fiedler, Peter Jaffe, and the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. He held memberships in the National Repertory Orchestra and San Diego Symphony, Zoltan Rozsnyai, conductor, and also performed with the La Jolla Chamber Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, Fresno Brass Quintet, Milwaukee Ballet, Brassific, Stockton Symphony, Bay Bones, and numerous pit bands for Broadway musicals.
Professional memberships include WASBE, CBDA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Kappa Kappa Psi and Pi Kappa Lambda, and he is a Past President of the Western Division of the College Band Directors National Association.