Dr. Michael S. Butler is the Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His responsibilities include: conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony; teaching Introduction to Conducting, Advanced Instrumental Conducting, History of Wind Literature, Instrumental Methods; supervising student teachers, and hosting an annual honor band for high school students.

Since arriving at UWSP, the UWSP Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been recognized twice by CBDNA as one of the finest small university wind ensembles in the nation, first in 2017 and second in 2019. The ensemble was also selected through blind peer review to perform at the 2019 Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association conference in Eau Claire. Before teaching at UWSP, he had a multitude of experiences that included teaching and conducting at the University of Florida, serving as the Associate Director of Bands & Orchestra at Spruce Creek High School and the Director of Bands at William R. Boone High School. Ensembles under his leadership flourished and received  invitations to perform at the Florida Music Educators Conference and the prestigious Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Butler is an active clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for wind bands nationally and internationally. In 2016, he guest conducted the United States Army Band  Pershing’s Own. He has collaborated with numerous composers including John Mackey, Wayne Oquin, David Maslanka, Peter Van Zandt Lane, and Daniel Kellogg that received commendations for their interpretation and spirited performance. An advocate of new music for the wind band, he regularly commissions new works to ensure talented composers are contributing to the wind repertoire. Most recently, this includes leading a consortium by Wayne Oquin entitled Song for Silent Voices, which was awarded the 2018 National Band Association’s William D. Revelli prize. He is also leading a commissioning project to have Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Julia Wolfe, compose her first work for wind band. Additionally, he remains active as a researcher and academic writer contributing articles to music educator journals, and the GIA Series “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band.”

An ardent student of the art of conducting, he regularly attends conducting symposiums and has studied with David Waybright, Joseph Hermann, H. Robert Reynolds, Jerry  Junkin, Michael Haithcock, Mallory Thompson, Craig Kirchoff, Rodney Dorsey, Jamie Nix, Steve Davis, Allan McMurray, Tom Leslie, John Lynch, and Robert Ambrose. In 2015, he served as an Assistant Conductor at the Miami Summer Music Festival where he also studied conducting with Grzegorz Nowak, Permanent Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a performer, he has performed with the Johnson City Symphony, the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Appalachian Brass Orchestra, Wisconsin Collegiate Faculty Brass, and as a freelance trumpet performer. He appears on two CDs produced by Mark Custom Records entitled Slide Ride and Raise the Roof. His arrangements for trumpet and brass ensembles have been performed at national and international music conferences and received high praise.

The National Band Association has awarded Dr. Butler multiple Citations of Excellence for his contributions to bands and band music. He is affiliated with many professional oganizations including Kappa Kappa Psi, Mu Phi Epsilon, the College Band Director’s National Association, the National Band Association, the National Education  Association, Kappa Delta Pi, and is also an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma, a National Honorary Band Society. Additionally, he is an elected member of the Pi Kappa Lambda chapter at UWSP.​​​