Douglas Olenik is originally from Creston, Ohio, where he attended Norwayne High School.  While in high school, he was a member of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, Ohio All-State Concert Band and the Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra.  He also performed with Neil Zaza’s Cleveland Rock Orchestra in the Palace Theater.

Douglas has been seen performing in a variety of settings.  Orchestra, rock and roll, dixieland, brass quintet, polka or even duets with instruments one just would not think would go together.

He has performed with several orchestras; Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, Danville Symphony Orchestra, The Prairie Ensemble, and Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.  He is currently principal tubist for the Urbana Pops Orchestra.  Douglas has also performed with the Westminster Faculty Brass Quintet, University of Illinois Graduate Brass Quintet, Youngstown Fine Arts Brass Quintet, and was a founding member of the Trinity Brass Quintet in Youngstown, Ohio.

During his studies at YSU, he was a member of the YSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Dana Symphony Orchestra.  In 2005, as a member of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Douglas performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City for a wind band festival.

While at the University of Illinois, Douglas performed with the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and University of Illinois Wind Symphony.

Also at the U of I, he presented the first live performance of Low End by Glenn Hackbarth at a New Music Concert in the Spring of 2009 at Krannert Center’s Foellinger Great Hall.  And in the Fall of 2009, Douglas worked with the 2007 Grammy Award winning artist for best musical album for children, Dan Zanes, in his band, Dan Zanes and Friends.

Equally comfortable in the rock and roll scene, he performed with The Zou, a rock band out of Youngstown, Ohio and iDEA mACHINE, a drum and tuba duet with percussionist Dean Anshutz.

As an arranger, several of his works have been premiered.  At the Dana Holiday Concert at Youngstown State, Joyous Fanfare (2006) and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2007) were performed by the Trinity Brass Quintet.  Tubas in the Moonlight, the first movement of Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven for four euphoniums and four tubas, was premiered in Spring 2008 by the YSU Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble.  In the summer of 2009, at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, the second movement from his work, Three Short Movements for brass quintet, was premiered by the Ralph Sauer Brass Quintet.

Teaching is also a large part of Douglas’s interests.  He is a brass instructor for East Palestine High School and Norwayne High School marching bands.  He has much experience working with high school and middle school students, having taught at many different school districts in a variety of ways; whether it be with the marching band, concert band, or in private instruction.  As the Tuba and Euphonium Studio Teaching Assistant at the U of I, he taught the Tuba and Euphonium Methods course, private lessons, and coached brass quintets and tuba quartets.

Douglas has studied with Dr. Brian Kiser and Mr. John Turk while at YSU, and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studied under Mr. Mark Moore.

For a full performance schedule, go to the Full Performance Calendar.