Tremon Kizer serves as the Associate Director of Bands, Director of Athletic Bands, and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Central Florida. In addition to serving as the lead administrator for the UCF athletic band program, he conducts the Symphonic Band, teaches courses in music education, conducting, and observes music education student interns. Concurrently, he serves as the principal conductor of the Youth Bands of Orlando, a high school honor wind ensemble based in Central Florida.
Under his direction, the UCF Marching Knights has the largest membership in university history with over 390 students. Recently, they have performed twice at the American Athletic Conference Championship, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, and the Auto Nation Cure Bowl. Furthermore, the Marching Knights have been invited, and have performed at Bands of America Regional Competitions, the Florida Marching Band Championships, and at the Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World. The Marching Knights has also been recognized and featured at the CBDNA Southern Division Conference. As principal conductor of the Youth Bands of Orlando, in partnership with Conn-Selmer and American Youth Ensembles, notable performances have been conducted with guest artists such as Moanin’ Frogs (saxophone quartet) and Christopher Bill (trombone).
In addition to his work at UCF, Dr. Kizer serves on the National Band Association Revelli Composition Contest Selection Committee, is on the Board of Directors for the Florida Youth Symphony Orchestra, and in 2021, will host the CBDNA Athletic Band Symposium at the University of Central Florida. He is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and leadership consultant. As a guest conductor, he has conducted numerous district and regional honor bands and professional ensembles such as the United States Army Band. He has been on staff for numerous music camps, drum major clinics, and collegiate and high school concert and marching band camps.
As a champion of diverse music, he has conducted and presented numerous works for chamber and wind band. Most notable is his research on two-time Prix de Rome winner, Ulysses S. Kay. In addition to his research on Kay, he frequently presents on programming literature that reflect the demographics of the students in the music classroom. He has given lectures and presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra International Conference, the College Band Director National Conference (CBDNA), the Southern Division CBDNA Conference, the CBDNA Athletic Band Symposium, the Florida Music Educators State Conference, Kansas Music Educators State Conference, and the Kansas Bandmasters Association State Conference. He has been featured in The Marching Roundtable and Teaching Music.
Prior to his tenure at UCF, he served on the conducting faculty at the University of Dayton, Coffeyville College, and taught courses at the University of Central Missouri. In addition, he taught 5-12 grade instrumental music in the state of Kanas and Missouri. Dr. Kizer earned a undergraduate degree from Kansas State University, a masters degree from the University of Central Missouri and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina.
His professional associations include the College Band Directors National Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Association for Educators Association, and Kansas Bandmasters Association. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha and holds honorary memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He relaxes by reading, studying, traveling, and spending time with his beautiful wife and amazing child.