Baton Basics Bulgaria Participants 2012

Michael Avagliano

Michael Avagliano also serves as music director of the Manalapan Symphony and assistant conductor of the Plainfield Symphony. He has worked as a cover conductor for the Lafayette (IN) Symphony and the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland. Mr. Avagliano has performed with the New Jersey Symphony, the Singapore Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. In recent seasons he has appeared as soloist with the New Sussex Symphony, the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey and the New Jersey Youth Symphony, as well as in solo recital engagements in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Marc-Ander Bougie

Marc-Andre Bougie first studied piano at the College of St. Laurent.  He completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Montreal and was admitted to the University of Missouri for his Master’s in Orchestra Conducting. As a conductor, Marc-Andre founded and directed the Orchestre des Sources, a chamber orchestra with which he recorded a CD, Orchestre des Sources: Musique pour cordes, and the music for the short-movie L’embellie. Marc-Andre is currently Music Director for the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the Texarkana Regional Chorale and the Shreveport Chorale, and full-time faculty at Texarkana College.

Mark Crim

Mark Crim is a versatile musician with extensive experience conducting bands, orchestras, choirs and handbell ensembles. He joined the faculty of East Texas Baptist University in 2008 as Director of Bands. A church musician, Mr. Crim serves as Director of Music Ministries at FIrst United Methodist Church in Marshall, after serving over twenty years in United Methodist Churches in Longview, Van and Bullard, Texas. Mark is the Music Director for the Longview Area Youth Orchestras, and principal conductor of the Longview Area Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Alejandro Duhalde

Alejandro Duhalde, a native of Argentina, has earned degrees in Guitar Performance and Orchestral Conducting from the National Conservatory of Argentina. He has studied conducting with Mario Benzecry and Carlos Vieu. Alejandro has also served as the Assistant Conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra Libertador San Martín, where he has helped run rehearsals and perform in concerts.

Gonzalo Farias

Gonzalo Farias hails from Chile. He currently serves as Assistant Conductor of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. He pursued conducting and piano studies at the Catholic University of Chile, from which he graduated with distinction. Mr. Farias continued his conducting studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he has earned a master’s degree and graduate diploma with academic honors. Currently, he continue his musical studies as a full scholarship student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at NEC.

Edette Gagne

Edette Gagné, a charismatic and dynamic conductor, has built a reputation for excellence in musical performance in her work. Her conducting experiences have now circumnavigated the globe, with shows conducted across Canada, Sydney Australia, Los Angeles and New York City. Edette holds a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of Calgary, Bachelor degrees in arts and education from the University of Alberta, as well as Associate Performance Diplomas in piano and voice from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

James Hannon

James Hannon is the Director of Orchestral Activities at Iowa State University, where he conducts the ISU Symphony Orchestra and teaches instrumental conducting. A native of Battle Creek, Michigan, James Hannon began his musical studies on the violin. He received his BM in music education from Michigan State University, an MM degree in orchestral conducting from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and has completed all coursework for a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hannon has held the position of music director of the Battle Creek Youth Symphony, Belleville Philharmonic Youth and Umeå Ungdomsinfoniker orchestras.

Dominique Royem

Dominique Røyem is equally at home on stage, in the opera house, and in the Broadway pit. She is an active guest conductor in the Houston area, guest conducting with the Sugarland Opera, Masquerade Theatre, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston Civic Orchestra and many others. Along with her passion for theatre, she is an accomplished interpreter of symphonic music, currently serving as Assistant Conductor of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. 

Enrico Sartori

Enrico Sartori is currently the principal conductor and artistic director of the string orchestra Musica d’Iniseme in Long Island, New York. Currently living in Manhattan, he maintains an intense concert schedule in Europe and in the United States. Enrico Sartori has been invited as a guest conductor of many professional orchestra in Europe and in the United States: The Hudson Symphony Orchestra, the Maribor’s Festival Orchestra and I virtuosi di Torino. He has conducted many college orchestras such as the University of Nebraska Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Wind Ensemble, the Yale Chamber Orchestra and the Stony Brook Orchestra for the annual production of the Messiah.

Wilson Tong

Wilson Tong is currently pursuing his M.M in Orchestral Conducting and Music Performance at Georgia State University. He played violin in Georgia State University Orchestra under maestro Michael Palmer with whom he took conducting lessons. He has been playing in Cobb Symphony for six years and graduated in Kennesaw State University with degrees in Music Education and Music Performance. He teaches orchestra in Fulton County Elementary Schools through Music Matters after school program.

Yuichi Ura

Yuichi Ura is a DMA candidate in orchestral conducting at the University of Iowa where he works as a teaching assistant. He is also General Music Director of the Ensemble Sternwiese, a Tokyo-based chamber orchestra. Prior to these appointments, Ura served as a conductor of UI orchestras, Assistant Conductor of the St. Cloud State University Wind Ensemble, and Principal Conductor of the Musashino Academia Muscae Opera Society.

Photography by Rick Peckham