Beyond the Baton: Programming, Interpretation, Performance and Leadership
Clinic Synopsis:
This session is a discussion on the importance of the interpreter’s imagination, personality and need for dedicated, continuous study of works. "Beyond the Baton" will bring increased insight and imagination to programming, interpretation, performance and leadership.
Frank Battisti
- Biographical Information
President Gunther Schuller brought Frank L. Battisti to New England Conservatory in 1969 with the goal of creating a wind ensemble program on the model of the seminal work done by Frederick Fennell at Eastman. During his time at NEC, Battisti cemented his reputation as one of the most respected champions of music for winds in America. Battisti is past president of the College Band Directors National Association, and his articles on the wind ensemble, music education, and wind literature have been published by many national and international journals. Battisti is the author of The New Winds of Change and coauthor of the book Guide to Score Study. He has conducted many professional, university, and school wind bands/ensembles throughout the world. Battisti has commissioned and conducted the premiere performances of works by Colgrass, Chavez, Persichetti, Bassett, Pinkham, Wilder, Benson, Tippett, and Harbison.
Richard Floyd - Biographical Information
Richard Floyd has been active as a conductor, music educator and administrator since 1962. He has enjoyed a distinguished and highly successful career at virtually every level of wind band performance from beginning band programs through high school and university wind ensembles as well as adult community bands. Floyd recently retired as State Director of Music at the University of Texas at Austin where he coordinated all facets of secondary school music competition for some 3,500 performing organizations throughout the state for 29 years. He now holds the title UIL State Director of Music Emeritus. He also serves as Musical Director and Conductor of the Austin Symphonic Band, which is viewed to be one of the premier adult concert bands in America.
Prior to his appointment at the University of Texas, Mr. Floyd served on the faculty at the University of South Florida as Professor of Conducting and at Baylor University in Texas, where he held the position of Director of Bands for nine years. He began his career as band director at Richardson Junior High School and then become the first director of the award-winning J.J. Pearce High School Band in the same city. He also served as Director of Fine Arts for that district for two years before moving to Baylor University in 1972.
Craig Kirchoff - Biographical Information
Craig Kirchhoff is professor emeritus of conducting at the University of Minnesota. Born and educated in Wisconsin, Mr. Kirchhoff brings to his position a wide knowledge of both traditional and contemporary literature. He has won critical acclaim from composers Warren Benson, Henry Brant, Michael Colgrass, Karel Husa, Libby Larsen, George Perle, Vincent Persichetti, Stephen Paulus, Verne Reynolds, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, Steven Stucky, Elliott Schwartz, Chen Yi, and others.
Mr. Kirchhoff is past president of the College Band Directors National Association and is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, the National Band Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the Music Educators National Conference, and he served as the founding editor and principal advisor of the College Band Directors National Association Journal.
Professor Kirchhoff has appeared as guest conductor, clinician, and lecturer throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, and Scandinavia. Mr. Kirchhoff is a frequent guest conductor of the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and has recorded with them on the Kosei Publishing label.
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