Dr. Matthew Winarski

Dr. Matthew Winarski serves as the Instrumental Ensembles Manager at Concordia College. In this role, Winarski works with the band and orchestra areas planning tours, concerts, program, and other logistics. He also coordinates all music instrument and locker inventories for the music department. Outside of the Concordia College Music Department, Winarski also serves as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at North Dakota State University. He works with the Gold Star Marching Band and Pep Bands; a tri-college ensemble that performs at all NDSU Bison Football home games, including nearly a dozen National Championship games.

Winarski received his D.M.A. in Instrumental Conducting degree from North Dakota State University, where he also earned his Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting and Music Education. He received his Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

Before arriving at Concordia College, Winarski was a Graduate Assistant at NDSU where he worked with the Gold Star Marching Band, NDSU Wind Symphony, and University Band. He also taught courses in Music Theory. Before NDSU, Winarski taught for five years in the public schools in Alexandria, Minnesota; Forman and Gwinner, North Dakota; and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. During his time in Alexandria, Winarski was the Director of Bands and Head Marching Director of Alexandria Area High School. While there, his marching band earned multiple Grand Champion awards at marching competitions and regularly ranked towards the top of their division. During the summer months, Winarski has traveled abroad to work with marching band programs, including the Colegio De Bagaces Marching Band in Bagaces, Costa Rica, and the Stabekk Skoles Musikkorps Smågardistene in Stabekk, Norway.

Winarski is an active member of several organizations on the regional and national level, including the College Music Society, National Association for Music Educators, Minnesota Band Directors Association, both the Minnesota and North Dakota Music Educators Associations, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Tau Beta Sigma. Winarski lives in Fargo with his husband and their dogs, Colby and Cheddar. The four enjoy traveling around the Upper Midwest and visiting various state and national parks.