UW-Whitewater Alum Sam Fettig Among Top 10 Worldwide Chosen for Exclusive Development Program

WHITEWATER, WI — A UW-Whitewater alumnus is stepping into a rare international opportunity, one that reflects both the depth of his experience and the College of Arts and Communication’s commitment to work that holds up in the field.

Sam Fettig, a composer, educator, and musician based in Fort Atkinson, has been selected as one of just 10 participants from more than 500 applicants for the Development & Professional Positioning Program led by German composer David Moliner. The program brings together emerging composers from around the world for an intensive workshop experience focused on refining original compositions and preparing them for professional performance contexts.

As part of the program, Fettig’s chamber orchestra work "Wonder Restored" will be workshopped in collaboration with faculty and fellow composers. It’s not a passive showcase. Composers present their work, receive direct critique, and revise in real time. The expectation is clear: leave with something sharper than what you brought in.

Fettig’s path to this moment runs through UW-Whitewater. He earned a Bachelor of Education in Music Teacher Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1999 before completing a Master of Education at VanderCook College of Music. Over the past two decades, he has built a career that blends education, composition, and performance at a high level.

His work as a composer and arranger spans concert band, marching band, jazz ensemble, and show choir, with numerous commissioned pieces across those areas. He has also contributed to Hal Leonard’s "Essential Elements" band method series and authored instructional books, including "Do It Yourself Alto Sax" and its companion for tenor saxophone.

As a performer, Fettig remains active as a saxophonist, with credits that include the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and collaborations with artists such as Doc Severinsen, Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls, and Maynard Ferguson. At the same time, he has dedicated 24 years to public school music education, earning recognition as a Wildermuth Award winner and a Kohl Teacher Fellowship nominee.

That combination of classroom experience and professional practice gives Fettig a distinct presence in a program typically geared toward early-career composers. He brings a fully formed perspective into a space designed to challenge and refine it.

From a UW-Whitewater standpoint, the selection lands as both recognition and validation. The College of Arts and Communication continues to emphasize applied, outward-facing work, asking students and alumni alike to create at a level where ideas can be tested by professionals.

Faculty response has been immediate, with Director of Bands Glenn Hayes calling the achievement “absolutely fantastic.” It’s a fitting reaction to an opportunity that is both highly competitive and deeply consequential.

For Fettig, the next step is simple in theory and demanding in practice: bring "Wonder Restored" into the room, take the feedback seriously, and see what it becomes on the other side.