AMEA 2008 Clinicians and
Performers
Michael R. Gagliardo
was named the second Music Director and Conductor of the Etowah Youth
Orchestras in August of 1995. Since his appointment, he has led the Orchestras to national recognition, including the receipt of eight American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards for Programming of Contemporary Music in the category of Youth Orchestras; the 2006 ASCAP Award for American Programming on
Foreign Tours; and the "Best In Class" Award for the Etowah Symphonic Wind Ensemble at the 1998 Gateway New Orelans, 1999 Gateway Myrtle Beach, 2001 Gateway New Orleans, and 2003 Gateway New Orleans Music Festivals, and for the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra at the 2001 Gateway New Orleans Music Festival. The EYO was also selected to represent the State of Alabama in the Continental Harmony Project, an initiative sponsored by the American Composers Forum and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Under Gagliardo's direction, the Orchestras have performed numerous concerts both in the Etowah
County, Alabama, area and abroad, including four highly acclaimed Mid-West tours, an East Coast tour, and the EYO's first international tour to England. He will lead the ensembles of the EYO in an encore performance at Carnegie Hall in June of 2007. He resides in Glencoe, Alabama, with his wife Meleia and their four dogs, Daphne, Lady, Jake, and Gracie.
The Oak Grove High School Band serves approximately 200 students through a variety of performing ensembles. Oak Grove High School is a 6-12 school and therefore serves as a high school and middle school band program. The Oak Grove Band has a proud tradition of excellence and has afforded the students many exciting musical opportunities. The band has represented the state of Alabama in both the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Recently, last year’s marching band placed
third at the Bands of America Super Regional in Atlanta, Georgia and performed in the National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington DC. The Wind Ensemble is Oak Grove High School’s top symphonic group. This ensemble consists of approximately 50 auditioned students. The Wind Ensemble regularly performs quality literature at a level greater than their CC classification. This is Oak Grove’s first opportunity to perform at AMEA and we are very proud and thankful for this musical honor.
John Leavitt is a composer, conductor, and teacher, whose music continues to captivate listeners and musicians of all ages. He received his undergraduate education at Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, a master’s degree from Wichita State University, and the Doctorate of Musical Arts from The Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Leavitt is a life- time member of the American Choral Directors Association and is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, from which he has received annual recognition for his achievements. Leavitt was the recipient of the W.A. Young Award for teaching excellence, in recognition of his career at Friends University in the fields of music theory, choral, and church music. He has also served briefly on the faculties of Concordia College, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), and Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois. Leavitt currently resides near Wichita (Andover), Kansas where he founded and conducted the community choral program, The Master
Arts Chorale and Youth Chorale, during their twelve-year tenure. In March of 2003, he received the Kansas Artist Fellowship Award from the Kansas Arts Commission for his contribution to music composition. He most recently com- pleted a residency on faculty as Director of Music at Newman University in Wichita. His compositions have been per- formed in over 30 countries and are represented in nearly every major music catalog, including Alfred, Augsburg Fortress, Concordia, Hal Leonard, Morningstar, GIA, Hope, Shawnee Press, and Warner Brothers. He has numerous publications for choir, piano, organ, hand bells, and string orchestra and is co-author of the widely used choral music method textbook series Essential Elements for Choir.
38 October 2007
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