Since August 2003, Sam Zitek has been Director of Instrumental Studies at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska where he currently serves as Interim Chair of the Department of Music, directs the University Symphonic Band, and teaches Conducting II, Public School Music Secondary Methods, and Applied Saxophone. Dr. Zitek holds a BFAE from Wayne State College (1989), an MM in Saxophone performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1994), and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from UNL (2008).
Dr. Zitek has taught at Neligh-Oakdale Public Schools, Crete Public Schools and Kearney High School. He was also an adjunct faculty member at Doane College in Crete up until his appointment at Nebraska Wesleyan University. During his masters program, Dr. Zitek was a graduate assistant at UNL where he co-directed the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Athletic Bands, and the Cornhusker Marching Band. Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Zitek has directed many honor bands, including the Nebraska Class B, C and D All-State Jazz Bands, the Nebraska Class C and D All-State Bands and the Nebraska 8th Grade All-State Band. He is a past recipient of the NSBA sponsored Jack Snider Young Band Director Award and the NBA Outstanding Jazz-Educator Award. He is a member of MENC, NMEA, NSBA, CBDNA, CMS, and the Alpha Theta Chapter of the International Band Masters’ Phi Beta Mu Fraternity.
His bands at NWU have toured Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Germany, The Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. While in Italy, the Wesleyan Band was a featured performing ensemble for the Florence International Music Festival. Dr. Zitek’s bands have also performed at both the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association and Nebraska Music Educators Association conventions. |
