Suzanne Mudge joined the YMMC staff as Executive Director in 2019 and has coached the YMM Brass Ensemble since 2015. She served as Director of Community Engagement for the Carmel Bach Festival from 2015-2019 and has been a performer at the CBF for over 30 years. In addition to playing trombone and sackbut in the festival orchestra and directing Tower Music and community outreach concerts, Sue creates and scripts the The Epic Adventures of Leonard and Rasmus, a family series of interactive and educational concerts. Sue has been an in-demand professional musician and highly regarded educator and brings both of those professions to her new role in arts administration. Prior to her move to Carmel, she taught at Central Oregon Community College, directed the band program at The Seven Peaks School in Bend, Oregon, had a private teaching studio, and performed with the Central Oregon Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, and the Bend Brass Quintet. Her trombone and trumpet students placed consistently in the top 5 at the Oregon State Solo and Ensemble Festivals.

Prior to her move to Bend, Sue was an active freelance musician and music educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. She performed with the Women’s Philharmonic in San Francisco, and the symphonies in Modesto, Fremont, Marin, Berkeley, and San Jose. She recorded numerous CD’s at Skywalker Ranch Sue was also the Band Director at Lowell HS in San Francisco.

Sue was raised in Laguna Beach. She has a B.M from The University of The Pacific Conservatory of Music, a M.M. from the University of Arizona, and a teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University. She has a passion for film music, animals, California native trees and plants, the beach, bicycling, math history, cooking, and wine. And she’s still playing the trombone!