Dr. Leigh Wakefield, professor of music at Concordia College, was named the 2026 Collegiate Music Educator of the Year by the Minnesota Music Educators Association.
Wakefield was surprised with the honor during an impromptu presentation on campus earlier in the semester, where colleagues, students, and campus leaders gathered to celebrate the moment. The award was presented by MMEA president-elect Nicole Thietje.
“Unexpected moments like these are wonderful,” Wakefield said. “I’ve been a lucky person to be involved with education and music here at Concordia and within the state of Minnesota.”
Wakefield has been a member of the Concordia faculty for nearly four decades, teaching clarinet, chamber music, and woodwind methods. During his 38-year tenure, he has also served as conductor of the Concordia Cobber Band and the Concordia Jazz Ensemble, shaping generations of student musicians.
A passionate advocate for music education, Wakefield reflected on the broader community that made the recognition possible.
“I can’t be myself without all of you,” he said. “It’s about the camaraderie, the care, and the compassion for each other — and what music can be in people’s lives.”
Before joining Concordia, Wakefield performed extensively in New England, serving as principal clarinetist with both the New Bedford Symphony and the Nashua Symphony, and working as an active chamber musician in the Boston area. Regionally, he spent 36 years as principal clarinetist with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra and continues to perform with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera and the Concordia Wind Quintet.
