Jan Z Duga is a freelance tubist and educator in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she was the first female tubist to win a position with any of the DC-based premier bands as a member of The United States Air Force Band, Washington D.C., until she retired in 2013 as a Chief Master Sergeant with 30 years of service.
She earned degrees from The Ohio State University and Arizona State University. Her teachers include her father, Jules Duga, Robert LeBlanc, Raymond Nutaitis, Arnold Jacobs, Michael Bunn and Paul Krzywicki. Prior to joining the Air Force, she was a music educator in the Chillicothe, Ohio public school system.
A founding member, Jan serves on the Board of Directors of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) and was honored at the 2012 conference with the first Lifetime Service Award.
Jan appeared twice as a featured soloist at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference and has performed with Monarch Brass at several major brass/music conferences. Currently, she performs with the Manassas Ballet Theatre Orchestra, the Virginia Grand Military Band, the Capital Wind Symphony, the Brass Band of Northern Virginia, Athena Brass Band, and various brass quintets.