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December 9, 2024
When Mallory Thompson first stepped on the campus of Northwestern as an undergrad student, she had the goal of becoming a professional trumpet player. Little did she know that she’d go on to make history as the University’s first woman director of bands and be just the third person to hold that title.
Now, after nearly three decades of dedication and service to the Bienen School of Music, Thompson is preparing to take her final bows in the first of two final concerts at Northwestern.
“I am going out with bright eyes,” Thompson said while reflecting on the end of her tenure. “I'm really grateful and have no regrets. I feel good about the timing, loving the music and the students, and about loving Northwestern the way that I do.”
Thompson, who earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern, announced her retirement last fall.
Her final concerts with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) are the culmination of a history-making, 28-year career on the Evanston campus.
“It is an absolute joy making music with the SWE students in an atmosphere of dedication, generosity and commitment,” Thompson said. “Their talent and eagerness to improve and contribute inspires me and I will treasure these experiences for the rest of my life.”
Under Thompson’s direction, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble recorded five CDs, performed multiple public performances at Chicago’s Millennium Park and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 with a concert featuring nearly 200 alumni, a majority of whom hold positions with major orchestras and military ensembles across the country.
