Concert Division

Albert Lo is the Director of Instrumental Music Ensembles at the Austin Community College District and the resident Conductor/Artistic Director for the Valley Wind Symphony. Dr. Lo completed his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where he was under the tutelage of Professor Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Professor Dennis Fisher, and Dr. Nicholas Enrico Williams. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he received his Bachelorette of Music Degree from Northern Illinois University and his Master of Art Degree from Western Illinois University.

Previous to his appointment as the Director of Instrumental Music Ensembles at Austin Community College, Dr. Lo served four years as the Director of Bands for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley – Brownsville and one year as the Director of Orchestra.

Dr. Lo also served as the Director of Bands at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas from 2001-2008. Under his direction, Churchill High School continued their tradition of excellence, placing in the finals at consecutive Texas 5A State Marching Contests, Bands of America Regionals, and The Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, IN. The Churchill winter percussion line is the 2003 Winter Guard International World Class Indoor Percussion Champions and the color guard was a consistent Winter Guard International World Class finalist at the Nationals in Dayton, Ohio. Both Churchill Jazz Ensembles have been awarded Outstanding Jazz Ensembles at the Northern Colorado Jazz Festival in Greely, CO, the North Texas Jazz Festival in Addison, TX as well as the Harlingen and Fiesta Jazz Festivals. The Charger Band was selected to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. in 2006 and performed in the 50th anniversary celebration of Hawaii’s Statehood in 2008. The Wind Symphony has placed consecutively at the TMEA Honor Band Area competitions, and all four concert bands have received sweepstakes at the University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. All bands have been awarded “Best in Class” at various national concert festivals throughout the country.

In addition to his career as a music educator in the public schools, Dr. Lo was a brass instructor and Caption Head for the nationally renowned Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He is currently an adjudicator for Drum Corps International, Music for All, Texas University Interscholastic League, as well as other Judges’ Associations throughout the United States and Asia. Mr. Lo is an active clinician and guest conductor who has taught, conducted and performed in concert and jazz ensembles throughout Europe and Asia. Dr. Lo is a two-time Teacher of the Year recipient and was awarded Certificate of Recognition by the Texas Academy of Math and Sciences at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. He is a member of College Band Directors National Association, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity, Texas Music Educator Association and Texas Bandmasters Association.

Corey L. Graves is starting his fourteenth year as an educator and is opening Tony A. Jackson Middle School in Forney ISD as it’s new head director in the Fall of 2021. Prior to this appointment, he served as the head director of Roma Middle School for eleven years. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree as a summa cum laude graduate from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in 2007 and his Master of Music in Euphonium Performance from The Ohio State University (OSU), as a graduate fellow, in 2008.

Mr. Graves is a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar and the Region XV Middle School Coordinator. Bands under his direction have consistently received superior sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest, and have also earned high levels of recognition at both the state and national stage, being recognized as a National and Commended Winner in The Foundation for Music Education National Wind Band contest from 2013-2019. The RMS Symphonic Winds have been consistent state finalists in the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band Competition, being recently honored as the 2020 TMEA CC Honor Band. The RMS Symphonic Winds were also invited to perform at the 70th Annual Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The RMS band program is a 2019 recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Silver Cup Award and named a Rio Grande Valley Program of Distinction. Mr. Graves was chosen as Roma ISD’s 2013 Secondary Teacher of the Year and named the Phi Beta Mu Texas Young Bandmaster of the Year in 2017. He is an active clinician, adjudicator, guest euphoniumist, sits on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and maintains professional affiliations with Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, the UIL Prescribed Music List Committee, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.

Mr. Graves credits his passion for music to his mother, Brenda M. Moore (who is affectionately known as “Mama Graves” by his students), his drive for success to his grandmother, Mrs. Vergie Graves, and his love of education to an incredible list of music educators across the country.