Timothy Loest

Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge

Timothy Loest is a name in music synonymous with creativity, versatility, and accessibility. His works for young band are performed worldwide and his pedagogical methods and conducting appearances impact performers and audiences at the state and national levels. In 2017, his composition Cloud Gate (Reflections of a City) was performed for over 5,000 spectators at Chicago’s Millennium Park. That same year, Tim received the Illinois Grade School Music Association’s highest honor – the Cloyd Myers Memorial Award for Excellence in Music Education.

Tim had his first work published in 1995 and has written for Warner Bros. Publications, C.L. Barnhouse Company, The FJH Music Company, MakeMusic Publications, and RWS Music Company. In 2022, he founded Fanfare Music Press, a company dedicated to the highest quality compositions and arrangements for band. Tim is also an experienced proofreader (MakeMusicPublications) and concert band editor (RWS Music Company).

With over three decades in the classroom, Tim is no stranger to instrumental pedagogy; his longstanding affiliation with The FJH Music Company has resulted in several best-selling methods (1.2 million copies sold), including Measures of Success®: A Comprehensive Musicianship Band Method, Warm-ups and Beyond, Rhythms and Beyond, and Chorales and Beyond. Outside the classroom, Tim’s music has appeared on numerous network TV shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, Extra, and Nick Jr.

Tim received his Bachelor of Music Education degree with high honors from Illinois State University and his Master of Music degree with program honors from Northwestern University.

He holds membership in ASCAP, the Illinois Grade School Music Association, and Christian Educators. He served his entire teaching career at F.E. Peacock Middle School in Itasca, Illinois, and resides in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife Cindy and two sons.

He regularly accepts commissions for band and can be reached through his website: www.timothyloest.com.