Dr. David Gier
Professor and Director, School of Music
University of Iowa Bio Page
Trombonist David Gier is Professor and Collegiate Scholar at the University of Iowa, where he teaches trombone and brass chamber music and performs with the Iowa Brass Quintet. He is currently the director of the School of Music. Before moving to Iowa, Gier served for six years on the faculty of Baylor University.
An active soloist, clinician and adjudicator, Gier has performed and presented at many colleges, universities, and professional conferences, including the International Trombone Festival, the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the Music Educators’ National Conference, the New York Brass Symposium, the Texas Trombone Symposium, and the Illinois State Trombone Workshop. His recording of mixed chamber music featuring trombone, entitled “Toot tooT” was released on the Albany Records label in 2007.
Gier began his professional career in New England as a member of the Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra New England, and performed with numerous professional ensembles, including the New Haven and Hartford Symphony Orchestras, the New Orchestra of Westchester, and Keith Brion’s Peerless Sousa Band. From 1990 until 2008, Gier performed as principal trombone of the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann. He is currently principal trombonist of the Quad City Symphony and performs regularly with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater.
Trombonists from Iowa have gone on to success in both teaching and performing, and have been prizewinners in numerous competitions, including the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition and the St. Louis Symphony Young Artist Competition. Recent graduates have won performing positions with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the national touring company of Shockwave!: Blast II, the Air Force Band, and in prestigious summer programs such as National Orchestral Institute, the National Repertory Orchestra and the Graz AIMS Opera Orchestra. Iowa graduates also hold faculty posts at colleges and universities around the U.S., and in the public schools throughout the Midwest.
Gier is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale University, where he completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1992.
Dr. Jonathan Sayre Allen
Lecturer
University of Iowa Bio Page
Professional Website
Dr. Jonathan Sayre Allen serves as Lecturer of Trombone at the University of Iowa. Before this appointment, Jonathan has served as adjunct instructor of low brass at St. Ambrose University. His students have won positions in regional and all-state bands, orchestras, and jazz bands.
While a student at Northern Colorado, Jonathan began his professional career by winning a position in the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. As a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square (UT), Dr. Allen performed weekly international television and radio broadcasts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, in addition to performing on several audio and video recordings with the ensemble. Allen has performed with the Quad-City Symphony, Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa), Utah Symphony Orchestra, Boulder Philharmonic, Cheyenne Symphony, Ft. Collins Symphony and The Temptations. In addition, he has appeared on several film soundtracks and commercial recordings.
Allen has served as web-assistant for the International Trombone Association and was a founding member and Co-Chair of the Student Board of Directors for the ITA.
Dr. Allen holds degrees from The University of Iowa, University of Utah, and the University of Northern Colorado. His teachers have included Edwin “Buddy” Baker, Dr. Nathaniel Wickham, Larry Zalkind, Dr. Donn Schaefer, and Dr. David Gier.