Donald McMahel (Concert Band director, University Orchestra, associate director) should be a familiar figure to concertgoers in the New Albany area. He is a graduate of New Albany High School and received Bachelor's degrees in Music and Music Education and a Masters of Music degree from Indiana University where he studied with Henry Gulick. McMahel was Assistant Professor of Music at Texas A & I University and at Western Kentucky University where he taught woodwinds and was the band director.

Returning to the New Albany area, he served as the Fine Arts Assistant in Music in the New Albany/Floyd County Schools, Director of the Southern Indiana Orchestra, and as the Associate Director of the Louisville/Jefferson County Youth Orchestra. He was the co-director, with Rubin Sher, of the Floyd County Youth Symphony until 1986 when Mr. Sher retired. Mr. McMahel became Music Director at that time until he retired in 1993.

Mr. McMahel has been featured as a clarinet soloist with the Singapore Youth Orchestra, The Louisville Youth Chamber Orchestra, and The Southern Indiana Orchestra. He has also performed professionally with the Corpus Christi Symphony, The Louisville Orchestra, The Louisville Bach Society, The Civic Ballet, and The Kentucky Opera Association.