Chadron State band director is retiring

“It’s been fun,” he said. “Chadron State has offered many opportunities to grow as a person, a musician and a teacher. One thing I’ve greatly enjoyed is watching students progress and then have successful careers after they have gone through our music program and graduated.”

Winkle, who is widely known as an outstanding tuba player, can name dozens of CSC music majors who are now the band and choir directors in school systems throughout the region. He also points with pride to former members of his bands who have careers outside music, but still play part-time in community bands.

Winkle has kept busy at Chadron State. Besides wielding the baton at scores of concerts given by his wind ensembles, he founded the High Plains Band and Choir Festival his second year on campus and instigated the High Plains Jazz Festival the next year. Both events annually bring hundreds of high school musicians to the campus

Winkle also has served as chairman or co-chairman of the college’s Homecoming and Band Day for at least 30 years, spearheaded Merry TubaChristmas programs in up to a half dozen communities the past 28 years and presented numerous recitals, often in partnership with his wife Carola over a wide territory. She is a renowned clarinet player and also teaches music at CSC.

A native of South Dakota, Winkle was selected for the all-state band, choir and orchestra when he was in high school. He began teaching music part-time at an elementary school while he was attending Huron College. He had directed high school bands in three South Dakota communities a total of seven years and two years at his alma mater before coming to CSC in 1971.

He earned his master’s degree at the University of Vermont and his doctorate at the University of Northern Colorado. During the past 27 summers, the Winkles have been instructors at the International Music Camp on the North Dakota-Manitoba border. In recent years while there he has performed with what is known as the International Brass Quintet that has produced a half dozen CDs that have been sold far and wide.

He also has performed with numerous symphonies and served as a Yamaha clinician and guest conductor in nearly a dozen states.

Another career highlight was working with another renowned tuba player, Harvey Phillips of Bloomington, Ind., to co-author an illustrated book, “Art of Tuba and Euphonium.” The project covered 14 years of long-distance correspondence and travel before it was completed in 1991. The book is regarded as one of the best in its field.

After his duties at CSC end, Winkle plans to collaborate with Phillips on another writing project and will continue serving as a clinician and guest conductor.

Through the years, Winkle has received numerous honors, including Huron College’s Outstanding Alumni Award. In early March, he’ll be presented the Nebraska Bandmasters’ Distinguished Service Award.

“I really couldn’t have asked for things to have gone any better,” said Winkle. “And now is a good time for me to bow out. We’ve got some of the best band students we’ve ever had and the wind ensemble is performing at a high level. There will be numerous outstanding applicants for the job.”