SUU Athletic Bands Have New Director

Southern Utah University’s Department of Music and Thunderbird Athletics has welcomed David D. Torres as the new Director of Athletic Bands. Torres comes to SUU with over a decade of experience as a professional trumpet player and conductor of collegiate marching and pep bands. Through aggressive recruiting strategies and consistent philosophy, he has grown the marching band programs at both of his former institutions to well over 200 members and has led his students to gain national recognition for their efforts. An excellent musician in his own right, Torres has played professionally with ensembles across the nation, including national and international tours of Broadway musicals and the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. As a director and mentor, Torres aims to help his students to master the technical and musical requirements that are necessary in performing different styles of music, and he believes that building this strong foundational approach to performing is the key to consistent results and success. In the 120 years since the formation of the first band at what was then the Branch Normal School, athletic bands at SUU have gone through many changes, from the ceremony and renown of the Scarlet & Black, to the more recent Red Rockers.

Photo courtesy SUU Media Relations