Music Director and Conductor Roger Wu Fu

Dr. Roger Wu Fu joined the Solano Winds in June 2025 as Music Director and Conductor.   We welcome Roger as only the third director in 31 seasons of Solano Winds history.  Roger is a Taiwanese American conductor, educator, and musician, born and raised in Santiago, Chile.  With years of experience working with musicians from elementary to professional settings, Roger is passionate about illuminating the importance of music's role in the classroom, in the concert hall, and in the world at large.

Drawing from his own varied background studying anthropology for a B.A. at the University of California, Los Angeles, a Masters in Music in Wind Conducting from Peabody Institute with Dr. Harlan D. Parker, as well as a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Washington, Roger seeks to combine a high standard of musical performance with a rigorous and curious academic approach, to create and foster musical experiences for all audiences.

Contact Our Director   -- swdirector@solanowinds.org

Bill Doherty has been participating in community bands ever since his days at a student at Encinal High School, where the Alameda Community Band rehearsed under the direction of Bill’s high school director, Jim Hewitt. He earned his music degree at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played under the direction of Bob Briggs and Michael Senturia and studied with Andrew Imbrie and Philip Shoptaugh. He has been a trumpet student of John Coppola and David Goedecke. While working as the Director of Bands at De La Salle High School and then at Orestimba High School, Bill conducted the Berkeley Symphonic Band. He performed extensively with the Diablo Valley College Night Band with Art Dougherty, the CSU Stanislaus Wind Ensemble with Ed Harris, the CSU Stanislaus Jazz Ensemble with David Goedecke, and various freelance ensembles. He was the Music Director at Vanden High School and Green Valley Middle School before adding Mathematics to his teaching credential. Since that time, he taught math at Dover Middle School in Fairfield and at Campolindo High School in Moraga, California. Bill retired from public school teaching in 2021 after a 39 year career.

In 1995, as Bob Briggs was entering his retirement from the University of California, Bill worked with Bob to help establish Solano Winds. Bill was the founding President and has served continuously on the Board of Directors since the group began. He was the principal trumpet, playing under Bob’s direction, for thirteen years. Upon the passing of Bob Briggs in 2008, Bill was named Music Director and Conductor of Solano Winds. Under his direction, the band has continued to grow and flourish, becoming a Resident Artist at the Downtown Theatre, performing annually at the Carmichael Park Community Band Festival, and accepting an invitation to perform in 2013 at the Association of Concert Bands’ National Convention. Since assuming the duties of Solano Winds Music Director, Bill continued to perform on the trumpet as well. He was a member of the North Bay Wind Ensemble and the Napa Valley College Orchestra for three years, and continues to perform in various Solano Winds small ensembles and for occasional freelance engagements.

In June of 2025, Bill retired as Director and Conductor of Solano Winds but has not left us.  We like to call him our Director Emeritus.   You will find Bill happily making music in the trumpet section and in various Solano Winds ensembles.

Bill is joined by each of his family members in the joy of the performing arts. His wife, Jennifer, is a percussionist with Solano Winds and a retired Music Educator. Daughter Melissa helps to produce cultural events for Commerce City in Colorado. Son Kevin lives with his family in the Bay Area and has several national acting credits under his belt. Daughter Emily is a Solano Winds alumnus on oboe and English horn and narrates performances for the Tiny Tots Orchestra program in the Denver area.

Contact Our Director Emeritus  -- directoremeritus@solanowinds.org