Principal Guest Conductors
Eric Whitacre
Born in 1970, Eric Whitacre received his M.M. in compostion from the Juilliard School of Music, studying with John Corigliano and David Diamond. Today, Eric Whitacre is one of the bright stars in contempory concert music, and has quickly become a much commissioned, published and performed choral and symphonic composer, as well as an accomplished conductor and clinician. In addition, he also writes for the motion pictures and has a Grammy nomination to his name. Eric Whitacre has received composition awards from ASCAP, the Barlow International Foundation and the American Composers Forum. His Cloudburst, for mixed chorus, piano, hand bells and percussion, received first prize in the American Choral Directors Association's " Composers of the Future" competition.
Internationally, Eric Whitacre conducted the first in an annual series of wind symphony concerts ion Tokyo, Japan, and was named music director of the Narashino Wind Consortium.
Across the United States, Eric Whitacre has conducted, played in, or assisted over 30 musical theater and operetta productions. He has served as chorus master for the Nevada Symphony Orchestra and his guest conducting appearances include the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, the Gregg Smith Singers and the Miami Children's Chorus. He is currently Composer In Residence with the Pacific choral, California.
