Dr. Colleen Richardson is Coordinator of Bands and Associate Professor at Western University in London, Ontario, where she directs the Wind Ensemble. In addition to teaching undergraduate music education classes and graduate instrumental conducting, she co-directs the Western Young Winds program, which is a community band for students in grades six to nine taught by undergraduate music education majors. Under her direction, the Western University Wind Ensemble has produced two CDs, Apparitions (Albany Records, 2011) and Explorations (Mark Records, 2016); both recordings are available through itunes and Amazon.com.

Besides being active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor across Canada, Richardson has guest conducted or presented her research in Brazil, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Wales, and the US. She has presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and her publications include articles for the Canadian Winds, and the Canadian Music Educator Journal, as well as nine study guides within the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. In 2012, Richardson produced and edited the Hunsberger DVD within GIA’s DVD set entitled Three Icons: Frank Battisti, Donald Hunsberger, and H. Robert Reynolds.

A native of Winnipeg, Richardson graduated from Brandon University (BMus Ed), the University of Calgary (Wind Conducting Diploma, MMus Conducting), and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA Wind Conducting). While in Cincinnati completing her doctorate, she co-directed the Tri-State Chamber Players, as well as served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble. In 2005, Richardson became Assistant Professor of Music Education and the Wind Ensemble Director at Converse College in South Carolina. She joined the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in 2006. 

In 2018, Richardson was awarded the Canadian Band Association’s “International Band Award” for her contribution to the international band movement. Currently, she is the President of WASBE (the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) and the Chairperson of WASBE’s Artistic Planning Committee for their 2024 conference in Gwangju, South Korea.