Symphonic Series

Conductor Douglas Droste is recognized as possessing “obvious joy” for making music and a “sure sense of timing” when on the podium. Those under his baton routinely acknowledge his in-depth interpretations, keen sense of communication and personable ability to empower musicians.

Droste’s guest conducting appearances include the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), and the orchestras of Kansas City, Indianapolis, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Midland-Odessa, Fox Valley (IL), Chappaqua (NY), and the Amarillo Virtuosi. Equally at home in the pit, he has conducted over 30 productions of opera, ballet and musical theatre. Droste has also led eclectic shows with artists such as Black Violin, Ben Folds, The Flaming Lips, Pink Martini, Michael Cavanaugh, Time for Three, Christian Howes, and Disney’s All-American College Orchestra Alumni, among others. He previously served as artistic director of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, where he was praised for dynamic performances, innovative programming and his rapport with musicians and community.

A dedicated teacher, Droste is director of orchestral studies at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts, where he conducts the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra and teaches conducting. He regularly programs traditional repertoire, works by underrepresented composers, as well as new music by the composers of today. He also seeks unique collaborations and projects, such as Ron McCurdy’s Langston Hughes Project, sensory friendly concerts for children with special needs, and a recording with Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, “Take Me to the World,” on the Ghostlight label.

As an advocate of music education, Droste has conducted numerous all-state orchestras, as well as the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House, Let Music Live Festival at the Vienna Musikverein and Rodolfinum in Prague, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, and French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. He is also active as a clinician and adjudicator, including Festival Disney, ASTA’s National Orchestra Festival, MCP at Carnegie Hall and the Music for All National Festival. Droste is a Yamaha Artist and Master Educator.

A talented violinist, Droste has performed with the orchestras of Canton, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Nashville, and the Lancaster Festival, among others. He is also skilled on viola, trumpet, and as a tenor. Droste holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.

Called one of the most exciting and exhilarating voices in music education today, Peter Loel Boonshaft has been invited to speak and conduct in every state in the nation and around the world. Honored by the National Association for Music Education and Music For All as the first recipient of the “George M. Parks Award for Leadership in Music Education,” Dr. Boonshaft is Director of Education for Jupiter Band Instruments. He is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling books Teaching Music with Passion, Teaching Music with Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise. He is also co-author of Alfred Music’s method book series Sound Innovations. As well, his weekly “Boonshaft’s Blog” for music educators continues to inspire teachers everywhere. He has received official proclamations from the Governors of five states and a Certificate of Appreciation from former President Ronald Reagan, as well as performing for former President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, and for Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His honors also include being selected three times as a National Endowment for the Arts “Artist in Residence,” three times awarded Honorary Life Membership in the Tri-M Music Honor Society, receiving the Al G. Wright Award of Distinction from the Women Band Directors International, and being selected for the Center for Scholarly Research and Academic Excellence at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, where he is Professor Emeritus of Music.

Dr. Rebecca B. MacLeod is Professor of Music Education and Daniel J. Perrino Endowed Chair in Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she teaches string education and conducts the University of Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra. Her research on working with underserved populations, vibrato technique, music teacher education, and music perception has been presented at the International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition, Music Research and Human Behavior International Conference, International Society for Music Education, National Association for Music Education National Conference, American String Teachers National Conference, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Society for Music Teacher Education, and music educators state conferences.

Dr. MacLeod is author of Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom and coauthor of Clifford K. Madsen’s Contributions to Music Education and Music Therapy: Love of Learning. She is also a contributing author to Teaching Instrumental Music: Perspectives and Pedagogies for the 21st Century, Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra, and Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra. Her research is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, String Research Journal, Psychology of Music, The Strad, American String Teachers Journal, and various state music education journals. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, the String Research Journal, and as guest reviewer for the International Journal of Research in Music Education. She has received the UNCG Junior Research Excellence Award and the Researcher Award from the American String Teachers Association.

In demand as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. MacLeod has conducted region and all state orchestras in over 20 states. She enjoys expanding musical boundaries by incorporating a variety of cultures and styles into the orchestra and has premiered collaborations such as The Glass, Electric Guitar Concert by Demir Demirkan; Love Me and Fly for Folk Band and String Orchestra by El Rich; and At the Purchaser’s Option by Rhiannon Giddens featuring banjo, fiddle, and vocalist; among others.

Prior to joining the UIUC faculty, she was Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for 18 years. She is recipient of the North Carolina Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award, the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance Outstanding Teaching Award, and a semifinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award.

During her early career, Dr. MacLeod taught elementary, middle, and high school orchestras in Hollidaysburg and Beaver, Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and her MME and PhD from Florida State University.

Dr. MacLeod currently serves as immediate past president for the American String Teachers Association.

Giovanni Santos joins the University of Redlands as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music, following a decade of leadership at La Sierra University in the same role. Under his direction, the La Sierra University Wind Ensemble achieved national and international acclaim — performing across the United States, making its Carnegie Hall debut, and touring the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino. The ensemble also spearheaded numerous collaborations, leading to over 15 world and regional premieres of new works for wind ensemble.

A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI-B), he integrates these values into his compositions and educational work. His first symphony, Dolores, AmeriCan: Symphony for Band, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Music by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

In recognition of his artistic contributions, Dr. Santos received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Minority Band Directors National Association for “exceptional contributions to the wind band repertoire with outstanding artistry and achievement.” His music has been performed around the world, with recent highlights at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and by institutions such as the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Florida State University, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Southern California, among many others.

Dr. Santos holds a Ph.D. in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University and a Master of Music from the University of Southern California.

Chad Nicholson is the Director of Bands at the University of Arizona School of Music where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and leads the graduate program in wind conducting. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Beijing Wind Orchestra, China’s first professional wind ensemble. He will be serving as a faculty member at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo next spring.
Nicholson has impacted students and teachers around the world. He was an adjudicator for the All-Chinese Wind Band Contest and has conducted groups in Tokyo, Taipei, and Shanghai. He has led ensembles at China’s National Centre for Performing Arts and at the Beijing Concert Hall. A new edition of his book, Great Music for Wind Band, has been translated into Mandarin and will be released later this year. Dr. Nicholson published a series of video masterclasses, Pro Tips for Band Directors, with the online learning platform Forward Motion. The University of Arizona Wind Ensemble recently released an album, Joy and Monsters: The Music of Joel Love, through SoundSet Records.
Nicholson has served as an All-State conductor and clinician at many international events, including the Taiwan Band Clinic, the Western International Band Clinic, the NAfME National In-Service, and sessions at three Midwest Clinics.
Nicholson holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma (BME), New Mexico State University (MM), and Indiana University (DM).

Wes Kenney is currently in his 23rd season as Music Director of the Fort Collins (Colorado) Symphony.  In May 2023 he retired after 20 years as Director of Orchestras and chair of conducting studies at Colorado State University. The previous year he was named a University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor the university can award and has also been given the title of Professor Emeritus. Mr. Kenney was also the Music Director of the Denver Young Artist Orchestra from 2013-2023, a group he took on two international tours and performances in Carnegie Hall in NYC and Disney Hall in Los Angeles. His awards include the 2007 Grand Prize Winner of the Varna (Bulgaria) International Conducting Competition, a 2020 Honored Artist from the American Prize, a winner of the American Prize for programming in 2020, a winner of the Ernst Bacon Memorial Prize for excellence in performance of American Music, and the 2020 American Prize Winner for best orchestral performance in the Professional Orchestra Division. He was previously the Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony and has guest conducted around the globe including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Lviv (Ukraine) Philharmonic, Alabama Symphony, Vidin (Bulgaria) Philharmonic, Vietnam National Orchestra and the Changwon Philharmonic.

Dynamic, visionary, and passionate about using music to make a difference, Helen H. Cha-Pyo is an award-winning conductor and arts leader, currently in her seventh season as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts—New Jersey’s largest independent performing arts education organization. Under her inspiring leadership, Wharton Arts has soared to new heights, serving nearly 2,000 students across 13 New Jersey counties. Cha-Pyo has spearheaded innovative initiatives including lifelong learning programs, free education concerts for school children, and a significant expansion of jazz programs. She has also been a fierce advocate for underrepresented composers, bringing their voices to the forefront through groundbreaking concert programming and new commissions, supported by prestigious grants from organizations like New Music USA and Chorus America.

Leading the New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), Cha-Pyo has guided the flagship ensemble, Youth Symphony, on an international tour to Italy, creating unforgettable performance experiences, including standout appearances at Carnegie Hall’s Juneteenth Celebration concerts in 2022 and 2024. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and inclusivity has transformed NJYS into a second home for over 500 talented and dedicated young musicians across New Jersey.

Previously, Cha-Pyo served as Music Director and Conductor of the Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) for 16 years. During her tenure, she led ESYO on three international tours and founded ESYO’s CHIME program, which provides music education for underprivileged youth in Schenectady, NY. In recognition of her passionate commitment to using music as a means to uplift and enrich communities, ESYO established the Helen Cha-Pyo Golden Baton Award and Scholarships.

Cha-Pyo is a sought-after guest conductor and clinician for All-State and Regional Festival Orchestras nationwide. She has also served as a Visiting Associate Professor of Conducting at Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music and at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Cha-Pyo’s impact as an arts leader has earned her numerous accolades, including The Dove Leadership Award, the Angelos Artist Award, and the Eastman Centennial Award, all in recognition of her commitment to creating access and equity in music education for young people.

She currently serves as a board member for the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras. For more about Helen Cha-Pyo, visit helenchapyo.com and whartonarts.org.

Interlacing lived experiences with innate passion, Henry Dorn is a nationally recognized music composer/conductor renowned for his energizing rhythm, syntax versatility, and passion for creating storytelling sounds with larger picture meanings. Dr. Dorn’s compositions encompass intimate narratives often told from the lens of being a musician and African American. He is passionate about developing immersive experiences while setting an example of his life signature – the path may not always be smooth or clear, but it will always be worth it. His works have earned him recognition and performances by distinguished ensembles across the country, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Music from Copland House, JACK Quartet, the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet, Aizuri Quartet, Argento Ensemble, and the Dallas Wind Symphony.

Dr. Dorn is Assistant Professor of Conducting and Composition at St. Olaf College and is conductor of the award-winning St. Olaf Band. Prior to St. Olaf College, Dr. Dorn worked as an Assistant Director of the Memphis Area Youth Wind Ensemble and formerly served as Director to the Nu Chamber Collective. He has also worked with musicians of the United States Army Field Band, the United States Air Force Band, and has guest conducted the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”

As a composer, Dr. Dorn has earned several accolades. He was an Inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellow with the Cleveland Institute of Music and an ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipient. He is a past participant in The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Minnesota Orchestra Composers Institute, American Composers Orchestra EarShot, JACK Quartet’s JACK Studio, and Copland House CULTIVATE. He was in residence at MacDowell in summer 2023.

Originally from Little Rock, AR, Dr. Dorn’s ardency toward composing sparked at an early age while he was surrounded by blues and the sounds of his father’s vinyl records collection. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from The University of Memphis, a Master of Music in Composition and Wind Conducting from Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Conducting and a DMA in Composition from Michigan State University. He his primary conducting teachers have been Kevin L. Sedatole, Harlan D. Parker, and Kraig Alan Williams. He studied composition with David Biedenbender, Ricardo Lorenz, Alexis Bacon, Oscar Bettison, Kamran Ince, and Jack Cooper, among several others.

Dr. Sarah McKoin serves as Director of Bands, Professor of Music, and Chair of the Conducting and Ensembles Area at Texas Tech University, where she leads the graduate conducting program and oversees a vibrant and comprehensive band curriculum. Under her direction, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been featured at prestigious events including The Midwest Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association, North American Saxophone Alliance, College Music Society, and CBDNA conferences.

Her ensembles are featured on commercial recordings with Naxos, Albany, and Mark Records, including the world premiere recording of Chen Yi’s Suite for Cello and Wind Ensemble, a project praised widely for both its artistic merit and execution. One reviewer noted, “The playing of the Texas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble is strikingly good, even in the complexities Chen poses.” Additionally, she premiered the recorded version of Narong Prangcharoen’s Chakra on his debut commercial release, Phenomenon, a collection featuring works for piano, strings, orchestra, and winds.

A passionate advocate for contemporary music and education, Dr. McKoin has collaborated with some of today’s most significant composers and artists, including Viet Cuong, Michael Daugherty, Michael Colgrass, John Mackey, Steven Stucky, Nicole Piunno, Will Healy, David Biedenbender, Steven Bryant, Lindsey Kesselman, Joseph Lulloff, and the Aruna Saxophone Quartet, among others. Recent recordings of Cuong’s Deciduous and Second Nature, performed with the Aruna Saxophone Quartet, can be heard on the composer’s website as reference performances.

Highly sought as a guest conductor and clinician, Dr. McKoin’s work has taken her across the United States and internationally to Australia, Canada, China, Thailand, Taiwan, and Israel, where she served as producer for the world premiere recording of Roberto Sierra’s Fantasia Correliana with the Castellani-Andriaccio Guitar Duo and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra. She regularly teaches at the Interlochen Arts Academy and recently joined the faculty for Music in the Marche, a summer opera training program in Mondavio, Italy, where she is launching a new chamber music initiative for instrumentalists.

Prior to her appointment at Texas Tech, Dr. McKoin held positions at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Fredonia, and the Brevard Music Center. She is a Yamaha Master Educator, a past President of the Southwest Division of the College Band Directors National Association, and former President of the Big 12 Band Directors Association. Her professional affiliations include the American Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu, and Pi Kappa Lambda. She also serves as faculty sponsor for the service fraternities Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

Active as a conductor, string pedagogue, and editor, Chung Park teaches at St. Olaf College, leading the St. Olaf and Philharmonia Orchestras and teaching courses in conducting. He has also led orchestra programs at the University of Central Florida, Appalachian State University, Idaho State University and the University of North Dakota. Dr. Park regularly leads clinics and honor orchestras nationwide, with recent and future engagements in California, Kansas, Florida, New York, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Bärenreiter-verlag has recently published his edition of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites in a transcription for viola, the first such edition for the preeminent international publisher. Park earned his doctorate in instrumental conducting from the University of Miami, and holds M.M. degrees in orchestral conducting (University of Illinois) and viola performance (Western Michigan University), and a B.M. in viola performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music.

A lifelong learner, he has continued his education through activities that include studying Dalcroze-Eurythmics, staying abreast of the latest cognitive research, working with master pedagogues such as Marianne Ploger and attending seminars on diversifying the repertoire at the Brevard Music Center. Dr. Park also spent a transformative semester in Hannover, Germany as a private student of Hatto Beyerle, founding violist of the Alban Berg Quartet. Dr. Park believes passionately that music and music education can be a powerfully positive force in a young person’s life and has dedicated a significant portion of his career to supporting music in public schools. He has served on advisory committees, has led several hundred clinics during his time in higher education, is a mentor to young teachers and a resource to established teachers.

Daniel Baldwin recently retired after 28 years as Director of Orchestral Activities at Luther College (Decorah, IA). Baldwin earned the Bachelor of Music from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from University of Texas at Austin and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his tenure at Luther, Dr. Baldwin serves as Director of Orchestras at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA.

He received his formal training in string pedagogy as a teacher in the University of Texas String Project, perhaps the most comprehensive program of its kind in North America. Phyllis Young, director of the String Project for 35 years, was Baldwin’s cello teacher during his studies at the University of Texas. He studied conducting with Henry Charles Smith, Cornelius Eberhardt, Sung Kwak, Walter Ducloux, and Fiora Contino.

Daniel Baldwin has served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra and the Transylvania Youth Orchestra of the Brevard (North Carolina) Music Center, the largest summer music festival in the South. A 1991 conducting fellow of the Conductor’s Institute of the University of South Carolina and formerly a cellist with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Dr. Baldwin maintains an active schedule as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor. Since 2007 he has served as musical and artistic director for the Lake Chelan Bach Fest in North Central Washington state.

Frequently Daniel Baldwin traveled to Europe with the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, enjoying month-long January residencies in Vienna, Austria, and performing in such venues as the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz and the Vienna Konzerthaus. The ensemble returned to Vienna in 2019 and performed at the Musikverein. The Luther College Symphony Orchestra also tours annually in the USA. During his tenure, Baldwin and the Luther College Symphony Orchestra completed sixteen American tours, performing in at least 20 states.

Dr. Andrea DeRenzis Strauss, originally from Clarence, New York, serves as the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tara Winds Community Band. With thirty years of experience in teaching at both public and private schools across Georgia, she has instructed students from elementary through college levels. Dr. Strauss holds the distinction of being the first female college band director in Georgia. She formerly served as the Director of Bands at Georgia Tech and as an Associate Professor of Music at Shorter University. Her university ensembles have performed internationally in Australia, China, and Ireland, as well as at conferences for the Southern Division of CBDNA/NBA, Southern Division MENC, and GMEA. She was the Associate Director of the Atlanta Olympic Band for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Dr. Strauss has guest conducted in Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Japan, and has performed or conducted at the Midwest Clinic on four separate occasions. She served as Rehearsal Lab Technician for the 64th Annual Midwest Clinic. She has conducted or adjudicated nationwide, and her international adjudication experience spans Canada and Europe. Dr. Strauss has presented at numerous conferences to include the NAfME National Conference. Dr. Strauss is a charter member of Tara Winds.

Kevin Noe is the founder of A Heretic’s Guide to Musicianship, a professional development organization dedicated to strengthening the skills, imagination, and courage of musical leaders everywhere. His annual score study, interpretation, leadership and conducting retreats, now held at Avaloch Farm Music Institute, draws musicians from the U.S. and abroad. He is also the founder of Heretical Sound, an audio recording and post-production company dedicated to creating immersive music recordings for the modern world. A passionate promoter of the arts of our time, Noe has commissioned and premiered over 140 new works to date. As Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, he serves regularly as writer, stage director, singer, actor, conductor, and filmmaker for a variety of mixed-media productions. As a longtime teacher and orchestra trainer, he has worked with Michigan State University, the University of Texas at Austin, the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, Duquesne University, the Pittsburgh Opera, the Melbourne Conservatory, the Oberlin Conservatory, SUNY at Stonybrook, and has conducted All-State and Honors orchestras throughout the US and abroad. A devoted conducting teacher, his conducting students hold posts with professional orchestras and collegiate and conservatory programs around the world.

Conductor Douglas Droste is recognized as possessing “obvious joy” for making music and a “sure sense of timing” when on the podium. Those under his baton routinely acknowledge his in-depth interpretations, keen sense of communication and personable ability to empower musicians.

Droste’s guest conducting appearances include the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), and the orchestras of Kansas City, Indianapolis, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Midland-Odessa, Fox Valley (IL), Chappaqua (NY), and the Amarillo Virtuosi. Equally at home in the pit, he has conducted over 30 productions of opera, ballet and musical theatre. Droste has also led eclectic shows with artists such as Black Violin, Ben Folds, The Flaming Lips, Pink Martini, Michael Cavanaugh, Time for Three, Christian Howes, and Disney’s All-American College Orchestra Alumni, among others. He previously served as artistic director of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, where he was praised for dynamic performances, innovative programming and his rapport with musicians and community.

A dedicated teacher, Droste is director of orchestral studies at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts, where he conducts the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra and teaches conducting. He regularly programs traditional repertoire, works by underrepresented composers, as well as new music by the composers of today. He also seeks unique collaborations and projects, such as Ron McCurdy’s Langston Hughes Project, sensory friendly concerts for children with special needs, and a recording with Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, “Take Me to the World,” on the Ghostlight label.

As an advocate of music education, Droste has conducted numerous all-state orchestras, as well as the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House, Let Music Live Festival at the Vienna Musikverein and Rodolfinum in Prague, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, and French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. He is also active as a clinician and adjudicator, including Festival Disney, ASTA’s National Orchestra Festival, MCP at Carnegie Hall and the Music for All National Festival. Droste is a Yamaha Artist and Master Educator.

A talented violinist, Droste has performed with the orchestras of Canton, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Nashville, and the Lancaster Festival, among others. He is also skilled on viola, trumpet, and as a tenor. Droste holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.