The Oregon Band Directors Association is committed to advancing instrumental education, and contributing the field of wind band literature. We plan to continue with future commission projects, covering multiple ability levels, as well as offer the ability to join consortiums such that even more schools have the opportunity to participate in future endeavors.
MS COMMISSION PROJECT 2025
The OBDA MS Commission Project for 2025 will be composed by Anthony O'Toole. The difficulty will be approximately a grade 2.5. Duration will be roughly 4 minutes. The Consortium Participation Fee is $200 per school/ organization.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Payments will be accepted via online (link below). For checks, please contact the OBDA Treasurer (Chad Davies).
ABOUT ANTHONY O'TOOLE
Anthony O’Toole holds a BA in Music Theory and Composition from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a MM of Composition from George Mason University where he was recognized by the university as a distinguished graduate for his achievements as a composer and musician. Since he began writing in his teens he has composed more than 120 works over the last 15 years and has written for virtually every major idiom and instrument.
Mr. O’Toole is primarily self-taught as a composer but credits his mentors, Jack Stamp and Mark Camphouse as being pivotal to his development as a composer and musician. Anthony has also had the opportunity to learn and engage with many respected composers such as Richard Danielpour, Dana Wilson, Frank Ticheli, Cindy McTee, George Crumb, Dana Wilson, David Martynuik, Ryan Nowlin, and others.
His music has been commissioned and performed by musicians and ensembles all around the world. Mr. O’Toole’s music for wind band has been performed and recorded by some of the finest bands including the United States Coast Guard Band, The Kansas State University Wind Ensemble, ‘The President’s Own’ United States Marine Band, The University of North Texas Wind Symphony, The St. Olaf Band, The Singapore Wind Symphony, The West Point Academy Band, The Alabama Winds, dozens of All-State and Festival bands and many others. His piece “Fanfare to ‘The Hammer’” is featured in the 10th edition of the GIA Publications series ‘Teaching Music Through Performance in Band’ and 'Prelude to Something Big' is in the 11th edition - the Concerto for Tuba and the Concerto for Euphonium can be found in the 'Solos with Wind Band Accompaniment' edition. These volumes (10 and 11) feature a recording by the UNT Wind Symphony and an in-depth analysis of the work. Hammer also appears in the ‘Sourcebook for Wind Band and Instrumental Music’ by Russ Girsberger, Frank L. Battisti, and William Berz. All of Mr. O'Toole's wind band music as of 2016 is also included in The Band Music Handbook: A Catalog of Emerging Band Repertoire by Christopher M. Cicconi. In 2020 Mr. O'Toole had the honor or contributing as well as co-editing, along with Dr. Jack Stamp, a new series of wind band transcriptions of a dozen Ralph Vaughan Williams works. The series is published through GIA and Oxford University Press.
He has received numerous awards for his compositions including the Grand Prize in the 2012 Garritan Composition Contest, and Second Place in the 2014 Van Galen Prize for wind chamber music and his piece 'Electrons Dancing' won the 2019 Southwest American Prize in the Large Ensemble category. In 2014 Mr. O’Toole was inducted into the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity as an honorary member for his musical contributions. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, ASCAP and The American Composer’s Federation. Anthony currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where he fulfills his commissions for new works and does orchestrations and arrangements as a freelance writer; he also serves as Composer-in-Residence for the Carson Symphony Orchestra and Staff Arranger for the Southern California Brass Consortium.
Mr. O’Toole is primarily self-taught as a composer but credits his mentors, Jack Stamp and Mark Camphouse as being pivotal to his development as a composer and musician. Anthony has also had the opportunity to learn and engage with many respected composers such as Richard Danielpour, Dana Wilson, Frank Ticheli, Cindy McTee, George Crumb, Dana Wilson, David Martynuik, Ryan Nowlin, and others.
His music has been commissioned and performed by musicians and ensembles all around the world. Mr. O’Toole’s music for wind band has been performed and recorded by some of the finest bands including the United States Coast Guard Band, The Kansas State University Wind Ensemble, ‘The President’s Own’ United States Marine Band, The University of North Texas Wind Symphony, The St. Olaf Band, The Singapore Wind Symphony, The West Point Academy Band, The Alabama Winds, dozens of All-State and Festival bands and many others. His piece “Fanfare to ‘The Hammer’” is featured in the 10th edition of the GIA Publications series ‘Teaching Music Through Performance in Band’ and 'Prelude to Something Big' is in the 11th edition - the Concerto for Tuba and the Concerto for Euphonium can be found in the 'Solos with Wind Band Accompaniment' edition. These volumes (10 and 11) feature a recording by the UNT Wind Symphony and an in-depth analysis of the work. Hammer also appears in the ‘Sourcebook for Wind Band and Instrumental Music’ by Russ Girsberger, Frank L. Battisti, and William Berz. All of Mr. O'Toole's wind band music as of 2016 is also included in The Band Music Handbook: A Catalog of Emerging Band Repertoire by Christopher M. Cicconi. In 2020 Mr. O'Toole had the honor or contributing as well as co-editing, along with Dr. Jack Stamp, a new series of wind band transcriptions of a dozen Ralph Vaughan Williams works. The series is published through GIA and Oxford University Press.
He has received numerous awards for his compositions including the Grand Prize in the 2012 Garritan Composition Contest, and Second Place in the 2014 Van Galen Prize for wind chamber music and his piece 'Electrons Dancing' won the 2019 Southwest American Prize in the Large Ensemble category. In 2014 Mr. O’Toole was inducted into the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity as an honorary member for his musical contributions. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, ASCAP and The American Composer’s Federation. Anthony currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where he fulfills his commissions for new works and does orchestrations and arrangements as a freelance writer; he also serves as Composer-in-Residence for the Carson Symphony Orchestra and Staff Arranger for the Southern California Brass Consortium.
Questions regarding the MS Commission Project please email the MS commission chair.
HS COMMISSION PROJECT 2026
The OBDA HS Commission Project for 2026 will be composed by Julie Giroux. The difficulty will be around a grade Grade 3.5-4. Duration will be roughly 4-5 minutes. The Consortium Participation Fee is $300 per school/ organization. Participating directors name and school will be listed on the score. Participating directors will receive a set of parts and a score.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Payments will be accepted via online (link below). For checks, please contact the OBDA Treasurer (Chad Davies).
ABOUT JULIE GIROUX
Julie Ann Giroux was born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts on December 12, 1961. She graduated from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA in 1984. She started playing piano at 3 years of age and began composing at the age of 8 and has been composing ever since. Her first published work for concert band, published by Southern Music Company was composed at the age of 13.
Julie began composing commercially in 1984. She was hired by Oscar winning composer Bill Conti as an orchestrator, her first project with Conti being “North & South” the mini-series. With over 100 film, television and video game credits, Giroux collaborated with dozens of film composers, producers, and celebrities including Samuel Goldwyn, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Celene Dion, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Harry Connick Jr. and many others. Projects she has worked on have been nominated for Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globe awards. She has won individual Emmy Awards in the field of “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction”. When She won her first Emmy Award, she was the first woman and the youngest person to ever win that award. She has won it three times.
Giroux has also published a large category of classical works with emphasis on original compositions for Wind Band which are published by Musica Propria and distributed internationally. She is greatly sought after as a composer and recently completing her 5th Symphony “Sun, Rain & Wind” which premiered in June, 2018. Her music has been recorded and reviewed internationally receiving top reviews and her music has been performed at major music festivals the world over.
Giroux has been a true force in a male dominated field and has accrued many previously male only awards. She is a member of ASCAP, The Film Musicians Fund, Kappa Kappa PSI, Tau Beta Sigma and a member of the American Bandmasters Association. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service to Music Medal Award, Emmy Awards and was the first female composer inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 2009.
Julie began composing commercially in 1984. She was hired by Oscar winning composer Bill Conti as an orchestrator, her first project with Conti being “North & South” the mini-series. With over 100 film, television and video game credits, Giroux collaborated with dozens of film composers, producers, and celebrities including Samuel Goldwyn, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Celene Dion, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Harry Connick Jr. and many others. Projects she has worked on have been nominated for Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globe awards. She has won individual Emmy Awards in the field of “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction”. When She won her first Emmy Award, she was the first woman and the youngest person to ever win that award. She has won it three times.
Giroux has also published a large category of classical works with emphasis on original compositions for Wind Band which are published by Musica Propria and distributed internationally. She is greatly sought after as a composer and recently completing her 5th Symphony “Sun, Rain & Wind” which premiered in June, 2018. Her music has been recorded and reviewed internationally receiving top reviews and her music has been performed at major music festivals the world over.
Giroux has been a true force in a male dominated field and has accrued many previously male only awards. She is a member of ASCAP, The Film Musicians Fund, Kappa Kappa PSI, Tau Beta Sigma and a member of the American Bandmasters Association. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service to Music Medal Award, Emmy Awards and was the first female composer inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 2009.
Questions regarding the HS Commission Project please email the HS commission chair.
