UCF-Orlando Orchestra Invitational

Dr. Alexandra Dee is the director of orchestral activities and an assistant professor in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, where she leads the university’s orchestras and conducts performances of the Appalachian Opera Theatre. Under her direction, the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra has performed at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference and the College Orchestra Directors Association National Conference. Dr. Dee is also the Music Director of the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Previously,  Dr. Dee served as Director of Orchestral Studies and assistant professor of violin and viola at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois; music director and conductor of Chicago’s South Loop Symphony Orchestra; and a cover conductor for the Joffrey Ballet, with whom she debuted in 2017 conducting the Chicago Philharmonic.

Also at home in the opera pit, Dr. Dee has conducted productions with Northwestern University Opera Theater, Manitoba Underground Opera (Winnipeg), and IUP's Main Stage Productions. She is a consistent advocate for contemporary music, having performed and premiered numerous works by living composers. In particular, she is a vigorous champion of the works of her husband, composer Roger Zare.

Dr. Dee completed her doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at Northwestern University, where she studied with Victor Yampolsky. She is also an alumna of the Florida State University, where she completed both Master of Music in orchestral conducting and Bachelor of Music Education degrees,  studying conducting with Alexander Jiménez and choral conducting with André Thomas. While at FSU, she was the founding music director and conductor of the Campus Orchestra, a string orchestra geared toward non-music majors from across the university community.

Conductor Douglas Droste is recognized as possessing "obvious joy" for making music and a "sure sense of timing" when on the podium. Those under his baton routinely acknowledge his in-depth interpretations, keen sense of communication and personable ability to empower musicians.

Droste’s guest conducting appearances include the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra (Ukraine), and the orchestras of Kansas City, Indianapolis, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Midland-Odessa, Fox Valley (IL), Chappaqua (NY), and the Amarillo Virtuosi. Equally at home in the pit, he has conducted over 30 productions of opera, ballet and musical theatre. Droste has also led eclectic shows with artists such as Black Violin, Ben Folds, The Flaming Lips, Pink Martini, Michael Cavanaugh, Time for Three, Christian Howes, and Disney’s All-American College Orchestra Alumni, among others. He previously served as artistic director of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, where he was praised for dynamic performances, innovative programming and his rapport with musicians and community.

A dedicated teacher, Droste is director of orchestral studies at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Performing Arts, where he conducts the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra and teaches conducting. He regularly programs traditional repertoire, works by underrepresented composers, as well as new music by the composers of today. He also seeks unique collaborations and projects, such as Ron McCurdy’s Langston Hughes Project, sensory friendly concerts for children with special needs, and a recording with Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, "Take Me to the World," on the Ghostlight label.

As an advocate of music education, Droste has conducted numerous all-state orchestras, as well as the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House, Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, and an upcoming engagement with the Music for All Honor Orchestra of America. He is also active as a clinician and adjudicator, including Festival Disney, ASTA’s National Orchestra Festival, MCP at Carnegie Hall and the Music for All National Festival. Droste is a Yamaha Artist and Master Educator.

A talented violinist, Droste has performed with the orchestras of Canton, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Nashville, and the Lancaster Festival, among others. He is also skilled on viola, trumpet, and as a tenor. Droste holds degrees from The Ohio State University and Texas Tech University.

Mr. Charles Watford is the Music Director and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor of Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras. He is also a clarinetist in Southern Winds and serves as a clinician across Florida. Mr. Watford believes that we are all lifelong learners of music.

Watford earned a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from Stetson University and continued his studies at Florida State University where he received a Master’s Degree in Music Education. At Stetson, he participated in the band, orchestra, and pit orchestra, and during his senior year, he performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Stetson Orchestra as a finalist in their Annual Concerto Competition. At Florida State University, he performed with the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Orchestra. His conducting mentors include Bobby Adams, Tom Sleeper, James Croft, and Kenneth Williams. He further honed his skills at conducting workshops at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Texas at Austin, working with notable conductors such as Craig Kirchhoff, Alan McMurray, Richard Floyd, Kevin Sedatole, and Jerry Junkin.

Over the past 31 years, Watford has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels. He began his career in 1994 as the Director of Bands at Lake Howell High School where he received the Otto J. Kraushaar Award twice and was named Teacher of the Year for the 1999-2000 school year. From 2000 to 2005, he continued his teaching at Winter Springs High School, overseeing the band program and guitar classes. Under his leadership, the Winter Springs band performed at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C., and consistently received straight superiors at the Florida Bandmasters Association State MPA, earning the Otto J. Kraushaar Award. Additionally, Watford was an adjunct clarinet professor at Seminole State College from 2003 to 2005.

Watford recently retired from Dr. Phillips High School’s Visual Performing Arts Magnet where he served as Director of Bands for 19 years and was named Teacher of the Year in 2008. In addition to band, he taught piano, Jazz Band, AP Music Theory, and Orchestra from 2009 to 2011. During his tenure, the Symphonic Orchestra received superior ratings at the 2011 Florida Orchestra Association State Concert Music Performance Assessment. The Dr. Phillips bands performed nationally and internationally, including at the Music for All National Concert Festival in Indianapolis in 2011. The bands consistently received superior ratings at district and state performances, and Watford earned the Jack Crew Award twice for five consecutive years of state superiors. In 2020, he received the Oliver Hobbs Outstanding Band Director Award making him a Florida Bandmasters Association Legacy Member.

Watford has conducted numerous All-County bands throughout Florida and conducted the High School All-State Honors Band in 2014. He currently serves as an adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association and has participated in several committees including the Concert Music and MPA committees. Many of his former students are now teachers and performers in the music field. He is a Life Member of the Florida Bandmasters Association, holds memberships in the Florida Orchestra Association, National Band Association, and Florida Music Educators Association. Watford is an elected member of the National Bandmasters fraternity Phi Beta Mu. He resides in Oviedo with his wife, Susan, their daughters, Lauren and Emily, and their French Bulldog, Sarafina.

Raine Hollingsworth, Director

Program

1. 1. 1. Capriol SuitePeter Warlock
         1. Basse Danse
         2. Pavane
         3. Tordion
         4. Mattachins
   1. Symphony no. 5, mvt. II Andante con Moto Ludwig von Beethoven, arr. Bud Caputo

1. Danzas de PanamaWilliam Grant Still, Jr.
   1. Cumbia y Congo

Lisa Coyne, Director

Program

1. String Symphony No. 3 in E MinorFelix Mendelssohn
   1. Allegro di molto
   2. Andante
   3. Allegro
2. Simple SymphonyBenjamin Britten
   1. Sentimental Sarabande
3. String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 arr for String OrchestraDmitri Shostakovich arr. Drew
   1. Largo
   2.  Allegro molto

Diana Tang, Director

Program

1. Russian Sailor's DanceReinhold Glière, arr. Jamin Hoffman
   1. Hoffman
2. Of Glorious PlumageRichard Meyers
3. St. Paul's Suite, Op. 29, No. 2Gustav Holst
   1. Finale (The Dargason)

Vinny Conrod, Director

Program

1. MessiahGeorge Frideric Handel
   1. Overture
2. String Quartet, op. 11Peter I. Tchaikovsky
   1. Andante Cantabile
3. Eine Kleine NachtmusikW.A Mozart
   1. Minuet
   2. Rondo

Eli Serrano, Director

Program

KilimanjaroAlan Lee Silva
She Will Hang the Night With StarsWilliam Hofeldt
TaifuChris Pilsner

Erin Dryer, Director

Program

1. Danzas de Panama for String OrchestraWilliam Grant Still
   1. Cumbia y Congo
2. Two Elegaic Melodies Op. 34Edvard Grieg
   1. Herzwunden
   2. Letzter Frulhling
3. Serenade for Strings, Op. 22Antonín Dvořák
   1. Allegro vivace