Mason Summer Conducting Symposium

Overview

The 2024 Mason Summer Conducting Symposium provides continuing professional development opportunities for conductors and educators of all levels (K-12 through professional) focused on developing gestural vocabulary and ensemble leadership.  Large group masterclasses and individualized feedback will allow participants to explore new approaches to score study, movement, and rehearsal techniques.  

Dr. Soo Han, Director of Orchestral Studies at George Mason University, and Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., Director of Concert Bands at George Mason University, will be joined by Dr. Kevin M. Geraldi, Director of Bands at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Darren Lin, percussionist, conductor, and educator, June Huang, Director of Strings, and Anthony Maiello, Instrumental Conducting an Aural Skills faculty, as conducting faculty for the 2024 Mason Summer Conducting Symposium. 

Participants will have an opportunity to conduct multiple times throughout the week, receive feedback and guidance from all conducting faculty, participate in group score study sessions, and observe other conducting participants. Each participant is expected to play as an ensemble member when not conducting on the podium.  Participants will select one of two tracks for repertoire focus: orchestral or wind band.

Registration for the symposium will open online January 16, 2024 at 10:00 am and will remain open until all spots are filled (no limit for auditors).

Auditors

Individuals may opt to participate as auditors for this program. Auditors will not have an opportunity to conduct, but will be engaged in the symposium by observing all conducting rounds, breakout sessions, and discussions. Auditors will be expected to play as ensemble members.  

Sample Daily Schedule

9am – 11am: Morning conducting rounds

11am – 12pm: Masterclass 

12pm – 1pm: Lunch Break

1pm – 3pm: Afternoon conducting rounds

3pm – 4pm: Masterclass 

4pm – 5pm: Daily debrief/discussion (optional)

Repertoire

Wind Band Track

TBA

Orchestra (Subject to Change)

Bernofsky – Heart of Fire
Britten – Simply Symphony
Grieg – Holberg Suite
Walker – Lyric for Strings
Dvorak – Symphony No. 9

Ages: 18+

Dates: July 9 – 13, 2024 (Tuesday-Saturday)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Performing Arts Building & Harris Theater, George Mason University Fairfax Campus

Tuition: For-Credit & Non-Credit Options Listed Below

Parking: $35 per week  Purchase A Pass  |  Parking Map

Orchestral Track (Non-Credit)
Tuition: $525

Wind Band Track (Non-Credit)
Tuition: $525

Orchestral Track (For-Credit)
In State $1,144 | Out of State $1,358

Wind Band Track (For-Credit)
In State $1,144 | Out of State $1,358

Auditor
Tuition: $262

⚠️ For-Credit Registrations

ATTENTION: For-Credit Registrations are managed by the Continuing and Professional Education office at George Mason University. When you find the course(s) you are registering for please follow these steps:

  • Click the “Register for Credit” button to register.
  • On the right side of the page, you will see the details of the course including dates, times, and course fees. Click the green “Add to Cart” button.
  • Doublecheck the in-state or out-of-state fee selection, and then “Checkout” at the top of the page. This will then prompt you to make an account through the online portal. Please choose “I am a new user or I have an inquiry” and enter your email address and “Create Account.”
  • Please fill out all data required and then “Continue Checkout.”
  • You will then be prompted to complete your payment option.
  • Once payment is received, you will get an enrollment and payment receipt.

Program Faculty

Dr. William Lake, Jr.

Wind Band Director and Conductor
Director of Concert Bands

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Dr. William L. Lake, Jr. is the newly appointed Director of Concert Bands at the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music at George Mason University for the upcoming academic year. In this role, he will conduct the George Mason University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. He will also teach conducting and wind literature classes.

Before his tenure at George Mason University, Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., served as Associate Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam), where he was co-conductor of the Northern Symphonic Winds, principal conductor of the Crane Concert Band, and guest conductor of the Crane Wind Ensemble. In addition to these responsibilities, Dr. Lake taught undergraduate conducting, Secondary Wind Practices, Wind Literature, and the preservice Practicum in Beginning Instruments Course.

Dr. Lake earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Drs. John R. Locke and Kevin Geraldi. As a graduate student, he was the principal conductor of The University of North Carolina University Band and guest conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Casella Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Lake is the recipient of two master’s degrees, the first from Boston University in Music Education (2011) and the second from the University of Maryland, College Park in Wind Conducting (2014) under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Votta, Jr. In May 2006, Dr. Lake received the Bachelor of Music Liberal Arts -Jazz Studies Piano Performance Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park as a student of Jon Ozment and Christopher Vadala.

Dr. Lake maintains an active performance and clinic schedule as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the country. He was a finalist for the 2017-2018 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music and the Band Conducting Division of the American Prize. Recently, Dr. Lake served as a collaborating author for two books, Teaching Instrumental Music: Perspectives and Pedagogies for the 21st Century (Oxford University Press) and Music Education on the Verge: Stories of Pandemic Teaching and Transformative Change (Lexington Books), both to be published in 2022.

As a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Lake is the co-founder of I See You: Affirming Representation in Music. In this capacity, Dr. Lake has presented over twenty seminars across the United States on inclusive practices in music education and performance. With co-founder Dr. LaToya A. Webb, Dr. Lake has been invited to present on diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts and practices at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 2021 Virginia Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference, the 2022 Texas Music Educators Association Conference, the 2021 National Association for Music Education National Conference and the 2022 National Association for Music Education Music Leaders Forum.

Dr. Lake is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., Pi Kappa Lambda, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also honored with membership in Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Dr. Soo Han

Orchestra Track Director & Conductor
Director of Orchestral Studies

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Dr. Soo Han is the newly appointed Director of Orchestral Studies at the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music at George Mason University. He is also the Music Director of the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Board of Directors of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In addition, he is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements for Strings, a D’Addario Orchestral Strings Artist, a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, and a program coordinator/faculty member with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s summer Youth Orchestra program.

Prior to his appointment at George Mason University, Dr. Han served as the Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. He conducted the Baldwin Wallace (BW) Symphony Orchestra, the BW Opera Theatre, and led a successful performance tour with the BW Symphony Orchestra in addition to maintaining an active conducting studio.

An active conductor, Dr. Soo Han has appeared with professional orchestras throughout the country in addition to directing university orchestras. He is a frequent conductor for All-State, Regional, and Honor Orchestras throughout the U.S., appearing in over 30 states. He has also conducted internationally with orchestras in Austria, China, Thailand, and Australia. Dr. Han has collaborated with numerous artists, groups, and conductors such as Lynn Harrell, David Kim, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has produced multiple recordings of complete symphonies and has premiered several commissioned works for strings and full orchestras. He has presented workshops and clinics internationally and for national and state music conferences including the Australian String Teachers Conference, Maryborough National Australia Conference, Midwest Clinic, American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference, NAfME National Conference, and the Ohio University Summer String Teacher Workshop.

Dr. Soo Han is a co-author, contributor, and managing editor for Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra, Vol. 4, one of the leading orchestra pedagogical resources published by GIA. He is the past president of the Indiana chapter of the American String Teachers Association; the Indiana chapter was awarded the ‘Most Improved Chapter’ during his time as president. Having taught music in public schools for fifteen years, he is a passionate supporter of public school music programs and continues to remain active in instrumental classrooms throughout the country.

Dr. Soo Han received his Bachelor of Instrumental Music Education degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and studied piano with Edward Auer. He received his Master of Science in Education from Indiana University School of Education, and his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from the Michigan State University – College of Music where he studied with Kevin Noe.

Dr. Kevin M. Geraldi

Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Illinois

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KEVIN M. GERALDI begins his appointment as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Illinois in the fall of 2022. His responsibilities include conducting the internationally renowned Illinois Wind Symphony, guiding the graduate program in wind conducting, and providing administrative leadership for the university’s comprehensive and historic band program. Previously, Dr. Geraldi served as Director of Instrumental Ensembles and Professor of Conducting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he joined the faculty in 2005. At UNCG, he conducted the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Casella Sinfonietta, led the graduate program in instrumental conducting, taught undergraduate conducting, and guided the instrumental ensemble program. He has held additional faculty positions at Lander University in Greenwood, SC, and in the public schools of Westchester, IL.

Ensembles under Dr. Geraldi’s guidance have presented acclaimed performances in significant venues in the United States and Europe, at national and state conventions, and through recordings on the Equilibrium, Centaur Records, and JustinTime labels. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator with high school bands, orchestras, and honor ensembles, including appearances with the Greensboro Symphony, Xinghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (China), the Union Musicale de Roquetas de Mar (Spain), and numerous university ensembles. Dr. Geraldi is a leader in commissioning and premiering new works for band and chamber ensemble and has earned praise for his collaborations with numerous significant composers and soloists.

Dr. Geraldi is a co-author of The Elements of Expressive Conducting, a textbook for undergraduate conducting courses that is widely used around the United States. A dedicated proponent of music education, his articles for music educators on concert programming and effective rehearsal strategies have been published by The Instrumentalist and the Music Educators Journal, and he has contributed numerous conductor’s guides for the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He is a frequent presenter at international, national, and state conferences. His articles in The Journal of Band Research and the WASBE Journal address topics that reflect his interest in the history and performance practice of chamber music for winds, brass, and strings.

A native of Elmhurst, IL, Dr. Geraldi holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in conducting from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Michael Haithcock and H. Robert Reynolds, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he studied conducting with Steven Eggleston. Additionally, he studied with teachers including Gustav Meier and Kenneth Kiesler and participated in conducting workshops with Pierre Boulez, Frederick Fennell, and Paul Vermel.

Dr. Geraldi is a recipient of the Conductors Guild’s Thelma A. Robinson Award and the Outstanding Teaching Award in the UNCG School of Music. He is a National Arts Associate of Sigma Alpha Iota and a member of the American Bandmasters Association, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, the National Association for Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Darren Lin

Guest Faculty, Conducting Techniques

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Darren Lin is a conductor, percussionist, and educator based in Arlington, VA. He brings passionate and nuanced performances to the stage as well as a fierce commitment to diversifying the standard repertoire and making the arts more inclusive and accessible for all. He has been recognized for his inventive programming, performing a wide range of works by composers from Steve Reich and Augusta Read Thomas to Joseph Bologne and John Philip Sousa.  

As a percussionist, Darren has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and New Haven Symphony. He was a fellow of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan and was invited to perform as an extra at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. Equally dedicated to championing contemporary music, he was the founder and Artistic Director of new music ensemble [sunflower], commissioning works from innovative composers like Molly Joyce, Randy Woolf, and Joseph Pereira. He has worked closely with Pulitzer Prize winning composers Steve Reich and John Luther Adams and has performed and recorded with the Borromeo String Quartet as well as the NakedEye Ensemble, “an eclectic eight-member electro-acoustic ensemble with classical, rock, and jazz DNA,” appearing on their 2022 album ‘A Series of Indecipherable Glyphs,’ which was recommended by the New York Times.

A passionate advocate for music education, Darren has taught at the undergraduate, high school, middle school, and elementary levels. As a guest artist, he has given clinics at high schools and middle schools in over 30 different states and has led masterclasses at Penn State, SUNY Buffalo State, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Washington. 

In 2019, Darren joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band as a percussionist before being appointed as Assistant Director in 2021. Currently serving as Associate Director, he regularly conducts the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra in the National Capital Region, including at the White House, and across the United States. He also is active as a guest conductor and clinician for bands and orchestras across the nation.  

Darren is a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and holds additional degrees and study from the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory. His primary mentors include Christopher James Lees, Michael Haithcock, Rodney Dorsey, and Ryan Nowlin.

This biography has been prepared in an unofficial capacity and neither “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, the U.S. Marine Corps, nor any other component of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government have endorsed this material.

June Huang

Guest Faculty, Ensemble Techniques
Director of Strings & Assistant Professor of Violin

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Prof. June Huang is the Director of Strings and Assistant Professor of Violin at the Dewberry School of Music. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in applied violin, chamber music, pedagogy, and string methods. Prof. Huang has a Master of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara where she was a member of the Young Artist String Quartet. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory and attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as an undergraduate. Prof. Huang studied at the Meadowmount School of Music, Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre for the Arts, and Kneisel Hall. Her primary teachers include Stephen Clapp and Ronald Copes.

Prof. Huang has performed with the National Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Wolf Trap Orchestra, Washington Ballet Orchestra, and Amadeus Orchestra. She is a frequent chamber music collaborator and has appeared at the Staunton Music Festival, Red Lodge Music Festival, and Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia. A specialist on the baroque violin, Ms. Huang plays and records with Opera Lafayette, Four Nations, and REBEL Baroque Orchestra. Leadership positions have included concertmaster of the Washington Bach Consort and the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra.

Prof. Huang is certified by the Suzuki Association of the America and is a member of the initial cohort of Communicating Honor for Diversity. As a grant recipient from the Levine School of Music, she visited Matsumoto and studied violin pedagogy with Dr. Suzuki. Prof. Huang is an active clinician and was the Founder and Director of String Camp and Strings Plus at Levine Music in Washington DC for 27 seasons. She currently directs the Mason Community Arts Academy Strings Camp and High School String Intensive.

Professor Huang is a member of the Editorial Committee of the American String Teachers Association and a presenter at the ASTA National Conference for 2022 and 2023. Additionally, she will perform and present at the Midwest Clinic and at the state conferences of the Virginia Music Teachers Association and the Virginia Music Educators Association this season. Prof. Huang is studying the intersection of music education and citizenship, and she intends to complete a Masters Certificate in Contemporary Dispute Resolution at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution next May.

Prof. Huang will sit in the ensemble and provide unique feedback and perspectives from the musicians point-of-view regarding the conductor’s collaborative work with the orchestra.

Anthony Maiello

Guest Faculty, Ensemble Culture
Instrumental Conducting and Aural Skills

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Anthony J. Maiello is Professor of Music and University Professor at George Mason University. Professor Maiello teaches applied lessons in Conducting, Aural Skills, and classes in Instrumental Conducting. From 1996 to 2009, he conducted the Mason Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Under his direction, the ensembles at both Crane and George Mason University commissioned new works, made numerous recordings and appeared at national and international conferences.

Professor Maiello also makes professional appearances both nationally and abroad conducting music festivals, adjudicating ensembles and presenting clinics, lectures and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and Europe. He conducted musical activities for the Gold Medal Ceremonies at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York; served as Musical Director for Music Festivals International; was selected as President of International Association of Jazz Educators – New York State Chapter; and is a guest clinician for Yamaha Corporation and Warner Bros. Publications. In March of 2010, he was inducted into the Bands of America Hall of Fame at Music for All’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Professor Maiello’s professional recording credits include conducting the American Wind Symphony and additional studio ensembles for Alfred/Belwin Publications. Locally, Maiello has served as Associate Conductor of The McLean Orchestra, McLean, Virginia; been appointed an Honorary Conductor of The United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C.; and was a participant in the National Conducting Institute with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., to which he has provided his services as a cover conductor.

Maiello received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York in 1965 and 1967 respectively, and has extensive experience teaching in the public schools and at the university level. While at the Crane School of Music, Potsdam College of SUNY, Potsdam, New York, he served as a Professor of Music and Chairman of Performance, where he taught Advanced Instrumental Conducting, Applied Clarinet, Woodwind Techniques, Percussion Techniques and conducted the Crane Wind Ensemble.

Throughout his career, Maiello has published musical compositions for string orchestra and is the author of “Conducting Nuances” (GIA Publications, Inc.); “Conducting: A Hands-On-Approach” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications); and co-author of “The 21st Century Band Method” (Warner Bros./Alfred Publications). In 2007, Maiello was awarded the title of “University Professor” by the GMU Board of Visitors, the highest rank given to Mason faculty members. Maestro Maiello is the founder and Conductor/Artistic Director of the American Festival Pops Orchestra, a professional ensemble in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area dedicated to promoting and performing American popular music. The American Festival Pops Orchestra’s May 14, 2022 performance marked the beloved Maestro’s final performance with the orchestra, capping off 12 years of leadership.

In addition to providing conducting feedback, Maestro Maiello will present topics on leadership and ensemble culture.


Notes

  • Please note that group classes are subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not reached.
  • Be sure to check our policies and procedures regarding registration, withdrawals, refunds, and more for summer group classes.
  • For-credit option: A tuition refund minus a $125 cancelation fee will be given provided that notice is received by the Mason Community Arts Academy no later than 1 week before the program start date. No refunds will be granted after this date.
  • All students will receive a Welcome Letter via email at least 1 week before the class starts with all necessary details.
  • For additional information, please contact the Academy at academy@gmu.edu.