Member, Nominating Committee
Appointed November 2025; term ends November 2026
DEMARR WOODS is Chairperson of Music and Performing Arts at Hampton University, located in Hampton, Virginia. He has previously held teaching positions at the University of Northern Colorado, Coppin State University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the Levine School of Music, and the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University. He has enjoyed performing and teaching throughout the U.S., Japan, China, and Thailand.
Professor Woods has performed as principal trumpet with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra. This ensemble includes performers with full-time positions in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit, Seattle, and Phoenix Symphonies, and university professorships. Professor Woods is also a Sphinx LEAD (Leaders in Excellence, Arts, and Diversity) fellow. Sphinx LEAD is a fellowship designed to evolve the industry landscape by empowering the next generation of executive leaders of Color. This is achieved through participation in executive leadership retreats, mentorship, and networking at top institutions at the national level.
Committed to community engagement, Professor Woods is currently a member of Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Music Advisory Council and a member of the Board of Directors of Soundscapes Music. He has previously served as a board member with the Natural State Brass Band in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Professor Woods holds membership with the International Trumpet Guild, North American Brass Band Association, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Consortium.
Professor Woods received his Bachelor of Music degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, Master of Music from Howard University, the Performer’s Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, and Doctor of Arts in Music Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.
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Updated January 2026