"Teaching is a passion of mine. Though I enjoy lecturing tremendously, I particularly love the one-on-one contact of tutoring. In this capacity I can truly address the specific needs of the student on a more immediate and specific basis. Being a professional symphonic conductor/composer (see music qualifications), every moment of every rehearsal, I am a teacher, trying to get the ensemble to fully understand and embrace the challenges of any particular piece to craft an effective performance. Whether it's the Boston Pops or a youth orchestra, I am always a teacher.

While serving as the Associate Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., I was also director of orchestral activities at Catholic University. In this capacity I taught graduate level conducting (including score study, orchestration, composition and analysis) and regularly mentored individual students of many disciplines (not only conducting students and composers) in their musical pursuits. I have a boundless joy for the art of music-making. Imparting this unbridled enthusiasm for music is one of the joys of my life.

With an international career as a symphonic conductor/composer, every day I put fully into practice all elements of music theory, ear training, music history and composition. I am music director of three professional orchestras, Anchorage Symphony, Youngstown Symphony and Hudson Valley Philharmonic. I have had the honor of conducting many of the great orchestras of the world as a guest conductor including the Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony and many others. Active as an arranger, many of these same orchestras have played my works. I have enjoyed working with many of the great artists of our time in different genres including Mstislav Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma, Andre Watts, Midori, (and many, many other classical greats) Chris Botti, Chris Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie in jazz, Idena Menzel, Brian" less...