Christian O'Donnell

Chris holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from UNT College of Music, where he served as Drum Major for the Green Brigade. Dr. O’Donnell began graduate work at Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester before completing his Master of Music in Music Education and Conducting at the Beinen School of Music at Northwestern University, and earning his PhD from the Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. Chris was a band director in Texas and Oklahoma for 20 years. Currently, Chris operates a private studio at The Brass Ring Center for the Performing Arts in his hometown of Ardmore, Oklahoma, where he teaches woodwinds, brass, percussion, guitar, bass, and music theory.

Prior to joining the UNT College of Music Advancement Board, Chris served on the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Educational Foundation, Oklahoma School for the Deaf Foundation for Excellence in Education, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, the Ardmore Contemporary Dance Company, and the Southern Oklahoma Arts and Humanities Council. He is currently serving as President of the Beverly Westheimer Wellnitz Foundation, President of Carousel Productions, Inc., and on the Oklahoma City University School of Music Advisory Board. For 13 years, Dr. O’Donnell has been a trustee of the Westheimer Family Foundation, which awarded the UNT Green Brigade Marching Band a generous grant in 2018 for the purchase of its new uniforms.

Chris is a dedicated music educator. In 2015, Chris created the Valerie Dean Westheimer Scholarship in Music and Graduate Fellowship in Music, named for his aunt (UNT ‘70.) As a University of North Texas alumnus, the quality he values most about the College of Music is its standard of excellence, as exemplified by the teachers, programs, and performance opportunities.

Chris and Vicki Gelona, fellow faculty member at The Brass Ring Center for the Performing Arts, currently live in Ardmore, OK, where they enjoy cooking, traveling, and their animals.