Colonel (Ret.) Tom RotondiConductor
Colonel (Ret.) Thomas Rotondi, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army in 2011 following a distinguished 34-year military career culminating as the eighth Leader and Commander of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC. Originally from Chicago Heights, IL, Rotondi holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Millikin University, Decatur, IL, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA. While at Millikin University, Col. Rotondi was active in Phi Mu Alpha and was selected for Pi Kappa Lambda Honorary Music Fraternity. Col. Rotondi performed at numerous national events including the State Funeral for Pres. Gerald R. Ford and the first inauguration for Pres. Barack Obama. He has also conducted throughout Europe as well as Japan and China, being the first U.S. military band officer to conduct the Peoples Liberation Army Band in Beijing, China. Col. Rotondi was elected to membership into the American Bandmasters Assoc. in 2005, was awarded the Alumni Merit Award from Millikin University in 2007 and was inducted into the Bloom Township High School Hall of Fame in 2010. Besides having served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Concert Bands, he also serves as the Advisor to the Director for the Music At The Summit Adult Band Institute and continues to serve on the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Col. George S. Howard Award Committee. Col. Rotondi currently resides in Kingsport, Tennessee, where he remains active as a freelance conductor, musical consultant and clinician.
Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Beth SteeleExecutive Director / Conductor
The Executive Director of Music at the Summit is Ms. Beth Steele, who is an experienced musician and conductor. Beth created Music at the Summit and is the driving force behind it's continued growth and improvement. She received her Bachelor of Music (Trumpet) degree and Master of Music (Wind Conducting) degree from Northwestern University in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Ms. Steele has performed on trumpet in many ensembles including: the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; New Sousa Band; Virginia Symphony; and the British Imperial Military Band.
Beth served as a career US Army musician, where her duties included: Associate Director, US Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, Washington, DC; Conductor, Continental Army Band, Hampton, VA; Commandant, Army School of Music, Virginia Beach, VA; Conductor, US Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus, Washington, DC; and most recently as the Commander of the US Army Europe Band & Chorus in Heidelberg, Germany.
While in Europe, Beth developed enduring partnerships with European musicians and was awarded the German government’s highest peacetime award: The Silver Cross of Honor, the first for an American Director of Music. She also led the Band & Chorus in historic performances in Moscow’s Red Square, for Her Majesty the Queen in London, and in first-ever combined concerts with the National Serbian Defense orchestra.
Alaunde Copley-WoodsFlute
Alaunde Copley-Woods is principal flute of the Colorado Chamber Orchestra and Greeley Philharmonic. She has performed throughout the world from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Mirinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Alaunde received a Master of Music Degree in flute performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and holds top prizes in the New York Flute Club, Kingsville International, and Sorantin International competitions. She has coached at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division, University of Colorado, Bowdoin Music Festival, the 92nd Street Y School of Music, and teaches privately in Boulder, CO. Alaunde is piccoloist for the Denver Municipal Band, the oldest professional concert band in the US.
Dr. Janice MinorClarinet
Clarinetist, Janice L. Minor enjoys an active career as a solo recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral player, clinician, and music educator. She has performed and appeared in a wide variety of venues and festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Rococo Theater in Schwetzingen Germany, the Puccini Theater in Italy, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Aspen Music Festival, the Lucca Music Festival in Lucca, Italy, and the Saarburger Serenaden Music Festival in Saarburg, Germany. As an orchestral player, she has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops, the Cincinnati Opera, and on soundtracks for The Discovery Channel and National Geographic.
Dedicated to her role as artist-teacher, Dr. Minor is a passionate educator who is frequently invited to present master classes and clinics throughout the country and abroad. She is a Buffet Group U.S.A. Artist performing on Buffet Crampon clarinets and music reviewer for The Clarinet: The official journal of the International Clarinet Association. Her CD “The Recital Clarinetist” with pianist, Paulo Steinberg was recently released by Summit Records. It is available on Amazon, iTunes and Summit Records website.
Ginger TurnerTrumpet
Ginger Turner recently retired from 27 year tenure performing with The United States Army Field Band. Her career has included playing principal trumpet, performing featured solos with the concert band, leading a brass quintet and presenting numerous master classes nationwide. She was the designer and coordinator of the widely-used instructional video, A Trumpeter’s Resource. Turner also developed the program “Building a Better Brass Section through the development of the Brass Quintet” which has been presented at major music conferences around the country. This program has created opportunities for students to excel while providing leadership training in one lesson plan, emphasizing individual responsibility in learning. A longstanding and active member of Monarch Brass, Turner has enjoyed playing and touring with the ensemble since 2008.
Passionate about education, Turner has been involved with the International Women’s Brass Conference since 2003. She currently serves as a board member, chair of the Susan Slaughter Solo Competition and the Ginger Turner Ensemble Competition, and annually produces the Holiday Brass Concert in Baltimore, Maryland. Currently she is teaching trumpet at Towson University.
Ms. Turner has studied with greats of the trumpet world such as Marie Speziale, Susan Slaughter and René Hernandez. She holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education and a Masters Degree in Trumpet Performance from Arizona State, studying with David Hickman.
Dr. Angela K. WinterHorn
Dr. Angela K. Winter is an enthusiastic performer and educator currently serving as Assistant Professor Music, Horn and Director of Brass and Bands at Adams State University in Alamosa, CO. She has soloed, taught, and performed with a variety of ensembles throughout the United States, Mexico, Columbia and Europe.
Angela has also recorded extensively, with releases on Ravello Records, GIA Publications, Klavier, Crescent Phase Records, and Highland Sound Productions. Passionate about chamber music, she performs and clinics extensively with a variety of chamber ensembles including the Madera Wind Quintet and Session Brass.
Angela is originally from Memphis, TN, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Memphis. She holds an M.M. and D.M.A. in horn performance from the University of North Texas, and has taught at the University of Texas at Dallas and Texas Woman's University as well as in in the public middle and high school system.
In addition to her musical activities, Angela is an extreme dog lover and runner. She has four rescue dogs and has run more than 40 marathons and ultra-marathons.
