Performances + Events
NEC Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, & Symphonic Choir
Jordan Hall
Artist(s)
Joseph Higgins serves as Director of Bands at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and teaches courses in conducting and literature. During his tenure, the program has grown to include multiple directors, three concert ensembles, and the new “Pride of the Profs” Marching Band; ensembles under his direction have premiered over forty new works and collaborated with many world-class artists, including a recent residency with contemporary chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird. For his exceptional leadership in the classroom, Higgins was awarded the Frances S. Johnson Innovative Teaching Award. He also received the Rowan University Values Award for Inclusivity in recognition of curating a “Music of Social Justice” performance series. In addition to his work at Rowan University, Higgins serves as guest conductor-clinician with outstanding professional, community, and student ensembles throughout the country. His current season includes performances in Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as conducting the 2024 New Jersey All-State Band, Philadelphia Wind Symphony, and United States Air Force Band.
Higgins is a passionate advocate of socially-conscious programming that encourages greater connection among performers, audiences, and their environments. He served as co-chair of the Rowan University Catalysts for Sustainability initiative and is actively engaged with sustainability research, climate activism, and environmental education. Higgins founded and produced the first Sound Planet Music Festival in 2023; now an annual series, SPMF events feature commissioned new works that reach thousands of community members.
He earned doctor and master of music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University, where his primary teacher was Mallory Thompson, and a bachelor of music degree in music education from the University of Georgia. Prior to graduate study, Higgins taught at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia.
