The Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) has named Vincent DiNino, director emeritus of the University of Texas Bands, as the 2011 Bandmaster of the Year.
DiNino became the first full-time director of the Longhorn Band in 1955 and made significant changes that gained the band national prominence and transformed it into the Showband of the Southwest. Under DiNino’s direction, the band began admitting women and people of color, band members were held to higher standards of musicianship and marching technique and the Longhorn Band uniform changed to the cowboy style that is used today.
“Mr. DiNino’s influence and vision as director of the University of Texas Longhorn Band continues to be the model for major college marching bands,” said Don Haynes, president of TBA. “His great enthusiasm and the large size of the Longhorn marching band brought a new pageantry to college football. For three decades his leadership greatly influenced high school and college directors through his work as an educator at The University of Texas at Austin.”
DiNino will be honored at the TBA convention in a luncheon ceremony in San Antonio on July 26.
The Longhorn Band is a year-round program offered as a course by the Butler School of Music in the College of Fine Arts. Registration is open to students across the academic disciplines at The University of Texas at Austin.
