Marc-André Bougie, currently music director of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the Texarkana Regional Chorale and the Shreveport Chorale, holds a bachelor of music from Université de Montréal and a master of music in orchestral conducting from University of Missouri at Columbia. Previous appointments and awards include assistant conductor of the Shreveport Opera, TRAHC’s Arts Champion Award in 2007, the 2001 National Composition Award and the Canadian Graduate Studies Scholarship in 1999. www.texarkanasymphony.org

Mark Crim, having served as Director of Bands at East Texas Baptist University, director of Longview Area Youth Orchestras and Director of Music Ministries at Greggton United Methodist Church, brings considerable experience in the realm of sacred music direction. Mr. Crim holds a bachelor’s of music education from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s of music in conducting from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas.

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.

Akiko Fujimoto is in her fourth season as the Conducting Associate for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Director of Orchestras at the College of William and Mary.  She is also the Music Director of the Williamsburg Youth Orchestras and served as the Music Director of the Mozart Society Orchestra at Harvard University between 2002-2007.  Fujimoto holds a B.A. in music and psychology from Stanford University, an M.M. in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music and an M.M. in orchestral conducting from Boston University.

Edette Gagné, hailing from Vancouver, BC, holds a Master’s of Music in conducting from the University of Calgary and has participated in numerous summer programs. Ms. Gagné is currently the artistic director and conductor of Coast Symphony Orchestra and the conductor of the WVYB String Ensemble and Sinfonia. She is the associate conductor of the British Columbia Boys Choir and is music director of the North Shore Light Opera Society. Ms. Gagné has served in a wide variety of conducting positions and was the recipient of the Outstanding Choral Program Award from Heritage Music Festivals. For more information, please see: www.edette.com

Richard Henebry, holding degrees in trombone performance and wind conducting, is currently a freelance conductor and is equally at home conducting repertoire as varied as orchestral works, musical theatre classics and 20th century literature for wind instruments, Mr. Henebry’s area of expertise.  Recent appointments include cover conductor of the New Haven Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Henebry has participated in several conducting masterclasses, including the Second Annual Frederick Fennell Memorial Masterclass and the West Point Conducting Workshop.

Vernon J. Humbert, since graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s of music education in 1977, has received a master’s degree in cello performance from the University of Illinois and has served as choral director of the Mayfair and Hendricks Avenue Baptist Churches; youth director of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra; and is currently the music director of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia. www.coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org

Hsunan-Yu Lee, a native of Taiwan, has held numerous directorial posts with several orchestras since receiving his D.M.A. in orchestral conducting. Lee has served as a assistant to the musical director David Itkin as a teaching assistant for the UNT Symphony Orchestra in Denton, TX, and an assistant to Conductor Apo Hsu for the National Chengchi University String Orchestra.   He has also conducted the Taipei Fuhsing Private School Orchestra.  Over the years, Lee has served in a variety of conducting capacities, giving pre-concert lectures and conducting educational programs and family concerts.

David Long brings exceptional experience as a conductor of both Orchestral and choral music.  Mr. Long holds master’s degrees in orchestral conducting (University of TN at Chattanooga) and church music (Southern Theological Seminary), and he currently serves as the conductor of the Cadek Orchestra and conducts the Chattanooga Bach Choir and Orchestra.  David also serves as the conductor of the Renaissance Consort and Madrigal Singers at Covenant College in Georgia.

Federico J. Piantini, Jr. brings years of performance and directing experience to this seminar. Having received a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and a master’s in music education from the Combs College of Music, Mr. Piantini serves as the assistant concert master and assistant conductor of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra and as a guest soloist and conductor of the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia and conductor of the Coro Gabriele D’Annunzio Italian Choir. Up until this year, Mr. Piantini served as the Director of Orchestras at the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Jared V. Robertson currently serves as an instructor of choir, music exploration and beginning band at Sinagua Middle School in Flagstaff, AZ. Prior appointments include assistant conductor of the Symphony of the Valley and guest / freelance conductor of the Flagstaff Light Opera Company, the Arizona Deseret Choir and the North Shore Baptist Church Choir. Mr. Robertson holds a B.M. from Lawrence University Conservatory and an M.M. and Artist Diploma from Shenandoah University Conservatory.

David Sawtelle has served in a variety of conducting capacities.  He has acted as assistant director of the El Paso Youth Symphony and the Pacific Palisades Symphony Orchestra; and was musical director of the El Paso Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Pflugerville Youth Symphony. Mr. Sawtelle was a prize winner at the Accademia dell’Arte di Firenze Symphonic Conductor’s Competition, and completed a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at Texas State University. He received his BME from West Texas State University

Richard Wright is currently the orchestra director of the Suffolk County Community College Orchestra as well as the Bay Area Symphony Orchestra in Long Island, NY. In the past, Mr. Wright served as the director of the Chicago Community Orchestra at Sherwood Music Academy. Mr. Wright holds a D.M. in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University.