Andrew Trachsel serves as Professor of Wind Studies and Chair of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles. He is the conductor of the Wind Orchestra and teaches courses in graduate and undergraduate conducting as well as the history and repertoire of the wind band.
 
Trachsel has collaborated with and received critical acclaim from many leading performers and composers including Mason Bates, Denée Benton, David Biedenbender, Andrew Boss, the Canadian Brass, Chris Castellanos, Viet Cuong, Nancy Galbraith, Julie Giroux, Jennifer Jolley, Libby Larsen, John Mackey, Dave Malloy, Michael Markowski, Robert Moran, Mark Phillips, Joel Puckett, Jake Runestad, James Stephenson, Zhou Tian, Third Coast Percussion, Bramwell Tovey, Jess Langston Turner, Dana Wilson, Gregory Youtz, and Larry Zalkind. An advocate for new music, Dr. Trachsel has premiered, commissioned, or co-commissioned more than fifty new works over the past decade. He is interested in developing innovative programming through interdisciplinarity, culminating in the establishment of the Ampersand festival to explore new opportunities for authentic collaboration between the contemporary wind band and other musical genres (including jazz, rock, and electronica), other arts (including dance, film, theater, and visual art), and other disciplines.
 
In 2019 Trachsel was named series editor of GIA Publications' landmark Teaching Music through Performance in Band series after serving for fifteen years as the coordinator of research associates and as a contributor to eleven volumes. His transcription of Robert Moran's Points of Departure is published by Charlotte Benson Music and his critical edition of Gordon Jacob's William Byrd Suite was recorded by the North Texas Wind Symphony and released on the album Altered States. Trachsel is active internationally as a guest conductor, clinician, advocate, and recording producer, and holds professional or honorary memberships in the Recording Academy (formerly NARAS), College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity of America, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority. He was appointed Assistant Conductor for the inaugural season of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and now serves as the conductor of the Lone Star Youth Winds.
 
Prior his appointment at the University of North Texas, Trachsel served as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at Ohio University for eleven years. He was the conductor of the Wind Symphony, music director for the "Under the Elms" Summer Concert Series, Division Chair of Conducting and Ensembles, and Assistant Director for Recruitment for the School of Music. He taught graduate and undergraduate conducting, band literature, and founded Moving with Meaning: A Conductors Workshop. He was honored with the Ohio University School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award in 2013. Trachsel also taught in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia as an assistant director of bands and postdoctoral fellow, and for four years served as a public high school band director in central Iowa.  
 
Under his artistic direction, the Ohio University Wind Symphony performed at the College Band Directors National Association North Central Divisional Conference, the Ohio Music Education Association Annual Conference, and the Southern Ohio Performing Arts Association subscription concert series. As part of an ongoing recording project initiative, the Wind Symphony released three commercial albums on the Mark Masters label, including AMPERSAND (2019), COLOR + LIGHT (2016), and MOTHERSHIP (2013), with multiple appearances on national syndicated radio and the Grammy Entry List. In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Ohio University Bands, the Wind Symphony, along with the Marching 110, embarked on a European Tour in May 2013, with performances in Ireland and Italy. In February 2017, the Wind Symphony made its debut at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, with special guest appearances by the Canadian Brass and Broadway star Denée Benton.
 
A native of Iowa, Trachsel received a bachelor of music education degree from Drake University, a master of music and doctor of musical arts, both in conducting, from the University of North Texas, where he studied with Eugene Migliaro Corporon and Dennis Fisher.