Education

B.M. in Music Education from Western Michigan University; Master of Music Education degree, with a trumpet performance emphasis, from the University of South Carolina; Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, Literature and Pedagogy from James Madison University

Biography

Dr. Andrew Koch is the University of Virginia Associate Director of Bands.  He joined the faculty at UVa in June of 2005, when the Cavalier Marching Band (CMB) was less than a year old.  Since then, he has been involved in all aspects of the band program.

He received a Doctor of Musical Arts from James Madison University (JMU) in 2011, a Masters in Music Education with a Trumpet Performance emphasis from the University of South Carolina (UofSC) in 2001, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Western Michigan University (WMU) in 1999.  He is eternally grateful to his many mentors in conducting (William Moody & James Copenhaver from UofSC, William Pease from WMU & Patrick Rooney from JMU) and in trumpet (Keith Amstutz from UofSC and Stephen Jones & Scott Thornburg from WMU).

In Andrew Koch's time at the University of Virginia, the young band program grew from 180 to over 320 students.  The University of Virginia Bands have become internationally recognized, respected and admired for the growth of this new program, the quality of sound from the various ensembles, the student leadership model in the CMB and the collaboration with the local community and University constituents across Grounds.  Dr. Koch is passionate about students continuing their musical talents throughout their time at UVA.  He was heavily involved in recruiting for the band program and building the family culture across the band.

From January of 2019 through July of 2021, Andrew Koch served as the Interim Director of Bands at UVA.  In this role, he successfully navigated the band program through the uncertainty of a global pandemic, quickly learning and changing with the times to continue to allow students the ability to perform safely and maintain their close relationships to the other members in the band program.   He led the CMB during one of the most successful football seasons in UVA history, performing at the ACC Championship in Charlotte, NC and the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, FL.  He collaborated with Clemson Director of Bands, Mark Spede to perform the National Anthem on the field with the Clemson University Tiger Band.  He led the UVA Basketball Band through the 2019 NCAA National Men's Basketball Championship season.  He also organized and led a collaborative performance with the Monticello High School & UVA Wind Ensemble in a shared concert and produced numerous innovative asynchronous, collaborative videos throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. These videos included elementary aged singers from the Charlottesville area as well as UVA President Jim Ryan, UVA Provost Liz Magill, and local radio icon Jay James.

Andrew Koch is a Michigan-born, first-generation college student who is very active mentoring high school and college students.  He is sought after as a clinician and adjudicator and is an active member of the College Band Directors National Associate (CBDNA), with his primary focus in the area of athletic bands.  He is an Honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (University of South Carolina in 2000) and Tau Beta Sigma (University of Virginia in 2012) where he personally installed the Iota Kappa chapter at UVA. Prior to joining the faculty at UVA, he taught successful high school & middle school band programs in both South Carolina and Michigan for 6 years.