Department of Music

Biography

Dr. Elliott Tackitt joins the Academic General Faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia in Fall 2021 as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands. Among his duties in this role, he directs the Cavalier Marching Band, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and provides artistic guidance to the entire band program.

A passionate advocate for music education at all levels, Tackitt is internationally active as a clinician, educator, and conductor, particularly throughout the southwest United States as well as Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He has also led classes in Vienna, Austria, as part of a three-week course sponsored by the University of Michigan’s Center for Global and Intercultural Studies. His research interests are focused on historic works written for the military band of San Marino.

Previously, Tackitt served on the faculties of the University of Michigan as well as Arizona State University. In these roles, he taught undergraduate instrumental conducting, a graduate seminar on advanced rehearsal techniques, and also served as a conductor of the Concert Band and Wind Symphony, respectively.

From 2009–2016, Tackitt served as the Associate Director of Bands at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, where he conducted the Symphonic Band, taught undergraduate conducting and secondary methods courses, developed and implemented a course on marching band techniques, directed all aspects of the NAU athletic band program, in addition to serving as the Director of the NAU Curry Summer Music Camp for student campers grades 6–12. While in Arizona, Tackitt appeared multiple times as a presenter and clinician at the Arizona Music Educators Association state conference.

Tackitt completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting at the University of Michigan and his Master of Music in Wind Conducting at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also completed a Bachelor of Music in trombone performance, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education, from the University of Michigan. His principal conducting mentors are Michael Haithcock and Steve Davis, and his trombone mentor is David Jackson.

Tackitt is a member of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Virginia Music Educators Association. Additionally, he is an alum of the Epsilon chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (University of Michigan), an Honorary member of the Gamma Kappa chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Alpha Chi chapter of Tau Beta Sigma (Northern Arizona University), and an Honorary member of the Nu chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi (University of Michigan).