Joel Pugh is the Teaching Associate Professor of Low Brass at the University of North Dakota and performs in the Dakota Brass. ln addition to teaching trombone, euphonium, and tuba, he directs the North Dakota Trombone Choir and coaches the UND Trombone Quartet and Tuba Ensembles. Dr. Pugh has performed extensively throughout the United States on trombone and euphonium, playing in the solo, chamber, wind band, orchestral, and brass band settings. Some of the solo performances include recitals at The University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, The University of Minnesota, Brandon University, the University of South Dakota, and East China Normal University. Concerto appearances in recent years include the Grand Forks Symphony, UND Wind Ensemble, UND Chamber Orchestras and the Dakota Brass, at the 2O2l Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference at Drake University.

He served on the faculty for the 2024 Great Plains Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference, at the University of Nebraska Kearney, presenting a feature recital, giving a presentation and adjudicating the solo euphonium competition.

He directed the UND Trombone Octet in their performance of the 2022 lnternational Trombone Festival, Central Arkansas University. Additionally, he accompanied the UND Trombone Quartet to Shanghai, China where he led masterclasses, conducted chamber concerts, and performed solo recitals. He has given presentations at the lnternational Trombone Festival, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and numerous state Music Educator’s conferences.

He has been published in the lnternational Tuba Euphonium Association and Brass Band Bridge journals.

He holds degrees from Michigan State University, Bowling Green State University, Ithaca College and teaches at the lnternational Music Comp, where he performs with the International Brass Quintet and also serves on their Board of Directors.  He is a Buffet-Crampon performing artist and plays on a Besson Prestige 2052 euphonium and Courtois Legend 420 trombone.