The Campus Band (Solomon Encina, conductor) and Concert Band (Yuman Wu, conductor) present their Winter Quarter concert, performing music by Julie Giroux, John Philip Sousa, Percy Grainger, Johan de Meij, Frank Ticheli, Aaron Perrine, and others.
Director Biographies
Solomon Encina is a Graduate Assistant at the University of Washington, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Instrumental Conducting. Solomon holds a Bachelors of Music degree in Instrumental Performance in Percussion from California Baptist University. He also holds a Masters in Music Education degree from Azusa Pacific University where he studied under Dr. Alexander Koops and Dr. John Burdett.
Solomon is a native of the Southern California region, where he has taught and arranged music for several high quality institutions. Most recently, he served as the Director of Bands at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, where the band, orchestra and color guard program regularly received high distinction awards at festivals throughout the state under his direction. During this time he also performed as a percussionist with several touring groups throughout the United States and as a guest conductor of the European Tour for Southern California Ambassadors of Music. After several years as a high school educator, Solomon is thrilled to begin pursuing his highest academic aspirations by attending UW to study under Professor Timothy Salzman.
Solomon Encina has affiliations with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA). Solomon Encina is proudly endorsed by the Vic Firth Company and is a part of the Vic Firth Education team.
Yuman Wu is a Graduate Assistant at the University of Washington, where she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Instrumental Conducting under the mentorship of Timothy Salzman. At UW, she serves as co-conductor for the UW Symphonic Band and UW Concert Band, assistant conductor for the UW Wind Ensemble, and contributes to the Husky Marching Band. She also assists in teaching the undergraduate conducting classes, working closely with music education majors. As a conductor, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, Yuman enjoys playing music from all cultural backgrounds, innovating new ideas, and leading the music industry forward with inclusivity. She was recently selected as one of five conductors for the prestigious 2025 U.S. Army Band Conductors Workshop, where she will conduct The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in a public performance at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall in Washington, D.C.
Yuman holds a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with Dr. Harlan Parker and served as Teaching Assistant for Secondary Instrumental Conducting. She also earned a Master of Science in Business Analytics from Cornell University. Yuman completed three Bachelor's degrees in Music, Statistics, and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Yuman has a strong interest in marching bands, the fusion of Asian and Western music, the integration of technology and music, and helping more people learn and appreciate music. Yuman also embraces cultural diversity, leading and establishing an ensemble that fuses Asian and Western music during her academic years. She has frequently performed and showcased this ensemble at consulate events. Additionally, as a Teaching Assistant with the Student Disability Service during her Master program, she assists visually impaired students by translating musical scores and providing necessary support in their study and daily lives.
Originally from Highland, MI, Corey Jahlas is in his first year of the Doctor of Musical Arts and Instrumental Conducting program at the University of Washington, where he serves as a Graduate Student Conductor of the Husky Athletic Bands, co-conductor of the Campus Band, and assistant conductor of the Wind Ensemble.
Most recently, Corey earned his Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Central Michigan University, studying with Prof. Jack Williamson. There, he instructed the 280-member Chippewa Marching Band and served as the instructor on record for the Symphony Band and the University Band. Prior to his Master’s work, Corey taught from 2014-2017 in Oxford, MI, leading the middle school band program, the OMS Percussion Ensemble, and assisting with the OHS Wildcat Marching Band.
Corey also holds degrees in Music Education and Music Theory and Composition from Central Michigan, where he studied euphonium with Dr. Mark Cox and composition with Dr. David Gillingham. Sharing his love for the marching arts, Corey served as Assistant Director of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in 2014, having marched with the group in 2011. He also serves as a clinician, arranger, and drill writer for high schools and university marching bands in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire, and is the Director of the Drum Major Camp at Central Michigan University. Corey holds memberships in the National Association for Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi.