Joseph Manfredo

Joseph Manfredo is an Associate Professor of Music for the School of Music at the Illinois State University. At ISU, Manfredo is the Coordinator of Music Education and teaches undergraduate courses in instrumental music education. In addition, he is coordinator of the student teaching program.

Originally from Calumet City, Illinois, Manfredo received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Eastern Illinois University, where he studied clarinet with Dr. Earl Boyd and piano with Dr. Catherine Smith. His graduate studies included a Master of Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from EIU and a Doctorate of Music Education from the University of Illinois. During his doctoral residency, Manfredo was awarded the band conducting internship to study with the legendary Dr. Harry Begian. In addition, his doctoral dissertation was awarded the Fritz Thelan Prize by the International Society for the Promotion and Investigation of Wind Music (IGEB) in 1994. The Thelan Prize was for “the outstanding American doctoral dissertation on the wind band, 1990 – 1994”.

Professor Manfredo is in constant demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He has conducted various All-State Bands and Honor Bands throughout the mid-west and southeast United States. In addition, he has presented lectures and clinics at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic, Music Educators National Conference national conference, College Band Directors National Association national conference, National Band Association national conference, Instrumental Music Teacher Educators Biennual Colloquium, and the Conn-Selmer Institute. He has made presentations at state music conferences in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, and internationally in Shanghai China, Mainz Germany, Echternach, Luxembourg, Graz Austria and in various cities throughout Brazil.

Manfredo has published journal articles in the Groves Dictionary of Music, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Band Research, Music Educators Journal, Journal of Music Teacher Education, The Instrumentalist, Illinois Music Educators Journal, and the Alta Musica series. In addition, he was asked to write The Conductor’s Manual for the Essentials of Musicianship series published by Hal Leonard. Dr. Manfredo serves as the chief editor of the MittBlatt, one of the publications for IGEB, the International Society for the Promotion and Investigation of Wind Music.

Presently, he is a Vice-President for the Illinois Music Educators Association in which he is head of the Music Teacher Education Division. Manfredo was recently appointed chair of the IMEA committee for teacher evaluation. In addition, he serves as the Illinois representative for the North Central Division of the Society for Music Teacher Education.