Donald Sorah

Donald W. Sorah is a composer, conductor, trumpeter, and Professor of Music at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Recognized for his work as both an innovative educator and active musician, Sorah’s career bridges composition, performance, technology integration, and community music-making throughout the United States.

 

As a composer, Sorah has written music for orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, brass quintet, and voice and piano. His compositions have been performed by professional and university ensembles across the United States, including the Louisville Orchestra, the University of Louisville Symphonic Band, the University of Florida Symphonic Band, and the Symphony of the Mountains. His music has been featured at The Midwest Clinic, one of the world’s most influential gatherings for band and orchestra musicians. His commissioned composition "Root Songs: Echoes in the Soil: is scheduled for performance at Carnegie Hall.

 

In 2026, Sorah received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, one of the Commonwealth’s highest honors for teaching, scholarship, and service. His work as an educator has also earned him the Outstanding Use of Technology in the Classroom Award twice at UVA Wise. He is an Apple Distinguished Educators (Class of 2023), an International Society for Technology in Education Certified Educator, and an Apple Learning Coach and Apple Learning Academy Specialist. In addition to his academic work, he serves as a consultant in music, instructional technology, and music technology, working with educators and institutions to support creative approaches to teaching and learning.

 

An active performer, Sorah maintains a career as a trumpeter performing with orchestras and ensembles throughout the Appalachian region. He is also a strong advocate for community music and is the founder and conductor of Winds of the Mountain Empire, a regional community wind ensemble that brings together musicians from across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, marking two decades of collaborative music-making and cultural enrichment for audiences across the region.

 

Sorah holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University and both the Master of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Morehead State University (KY). Before entering higher education, he served as a middle and high school band director in Southwest Virginia.