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Mr. James Villani

Manassas Symphony Orchestra
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Member Bio James Villani has served the community as music director of the MSO since 2002. He is the recipient of the 2022 Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence from the Prince William Arts Council as Outstanding Individual Artist. As a long-time advocate for continuing adult music education and volunteerism in the arts, Mr. Villani has been involved in community musical organizations since coming to Northern Virginia in 1986. He was associate conductor and clarinetist for the Reston Chamber Orchestra for 10 years, and has been involved with countless other area performances. He is an active judge and clinician for local music festivals and competitions. Mr. Villani was recognized by the Virginia Senate in 2018 for his leadership in the MSO's 25th Season, was a semi-finalist for The American Prize for Community Orchestra Conductors in 2010, and a finalist for The American Prize in Orchestral Programming / Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award —Community Division, 2019-20. A native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, Mr. Villani began playing clarinet in school at the age of 8. He honed his skills, as many in town did, in the back room of Al Colella's Shoe Store, where Mr. Colella taught a steady stream of clarinetists for decades while servicing the occasional shoe customer. Later, while in high school, Mr. Villani studied with Carl Marks, a noted faculty member at Duquesne University and Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music. Mr. Marks was himself a student of the legendary Daniel Bonade. Mr. Villani received Bachelor's Degrees in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from Penn State University, where he studied with Smith Toulson and was a member of every major ensemble, from the marching Blue Band to the Symphony Orchestra. Among his PSU highlights were four major bowl games, playing tenor saxophone in Disney's All-American College Marching Band at the grand opening of the EPCOT theme park (alongside legendary performer Danny Kaye), and performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. He received a Master of Music in Conducting from Northwestern University, where Mr. Villani studied conducting and arranging with John P. Paynter and was a graduate assistant for the university wind ensembles. He had a rather unique opportunity for a conducting major — playing bass clarinet in the top wind ensemble alongside classmates who are now members of top symphony orchestras. Mr. Villani was also a student of Clark Brody (another Bonade student), principal clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner, and renowned contemporary composer Alan Stout. A former band director and music theory teacher, Mr. Villani taught in the public schools of Chalfont, PA; East Palestine, Ohio; and at Stonewall Jackson (now Unity Reed) High School in Manassas. Mr. Villani is on the Board of Directors for the Ferde Grofé Foundation and a Senior Manager of Software Engineering at Capital Financial One in McLean.
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Maria Villasmil

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Member Bio Musician and orchestra conductor from Zulia, she was born in Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela, on February 8, 1999. She began her musical studies at the age of 11 in the violin program of the Lagunillas El Sistema center in Zulia State. She started her career as an orchestra conductor at the age of 20, under the mentorship of Maestro Emilio Contreras. Throughout her musical journey, she has participated in national tours (Caracas) and international tours (Netherlands, Russia, and Mexico) with various orchestras from Zulia, such as the Zulia Chamber Orchestra, the Zulia Symphony Orchestra, the Rafael Urdaneta Regional Youth Symphony, and the Lagunillas Youth and Children’s Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with and conducted the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. She has built a diverse repertoire ranging from Latin American and Venezuelan music to academic works of the highest level, including composers such as Revueltas, Beethoven, Mozart, Elgar, Mahler, Chávez, Márquez, Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and Carreño. She has also trained with maestros such as Rubén Cova, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Eduardo Marturet, Jesús Uzcátegui, Pablo Castellanos, Andrés David Ascanio, and Carlos Salas Ballester. Currently, she serves as a comprehensive academic music instructor in the violin program of the Lagunillas El Sistemacenter, as well as conductor of the pre-children’s, children’s, and youth orchestras of the Lagunillas center. She is also the assistant conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Eastern Coast of Lake Maracaibo, an ensemble with which she is carrying out intensive academic and artistic development work.
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Frank Villella Frank Villella Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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Russell Vinick

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Member Bio Russell Vinick serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra (Chicago), and adjunct music faculty member at Columbia College of Chicago. As Music Director and Conductor of the LSSO, Vinick was awarded by the Illinois Council of Orchestras the 2010 and 2015 “Conductor of the Year” Award, 2011 and 2018 “Programming of the Year” Award, and 2012 “Orchestra of the Year” Award. Vinick served as the Cover Conductor for the Joffrey Ballet with whom he conducted numerous performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet and Prokofiev’s Cinderella with the Chicago Philharmonic at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Chicago. Vinick was the Assistant Conductor for the Knoxville (TN) Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He was one of seven people internationally selected to participate in the conducting program at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California studying under Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier. He has served as Assistant Conductor at the Pacific Music Festival (founded by Leonard Bernstein) in Sapporo, Japan, under Neeme Jarvi, Christoph Eschenbach, and Michael Tilson Thomas. He has also been in the conducting programs at the Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Festival. Vinick has been a guest conductor in concerts with the Chicago Philharmonic, Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra (China), Shandong Symphony Orchestra (China), Kunming Symphony Orchestra (China), Virginia Symphony, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Marquette (MI) Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manchester (CT) Symphony Orchestra, University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern Illinois University faculty members for the Henry Cowell Music Festival, Petite Opera in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Opera West in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Vinick’s world premiere recording of the Martin Blazewicz Concerto Rustico for Marimba and String Orchestra was praised by Percussive Notes magazine which stated that, “the balance between soloist and ensemble is remarkable.” Vinick earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music from the University of Connecticut, where he received the Lottie Green Conducting Scholarship. He earned a Master's degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles studying under Daniel Lewis where he received music scholarships and the Conducting Departmental Award. Vinick has also studied with Kirk Trevor, Cliff Colnot, and Eiji Oue.
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Luis Viquez

University of Rhode Island
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Member Bio Latin Grammy-nominated and American Prize-winning conductor Luis Viquez is celebrated as one of the most dynamic and versatile musical voices of his generation. With a charismatic presence on the podium, Viquez’s passionate leadership and energetic musicianship have earned him recognition as one of Central America’s most influential artists, equally comfortable with orchestral, wind band, and operatic repertoire. Currently serving as the Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Viquez’s leadership is built on years of artistic excellence, including a distinguished seven-year tenure as Music Director of the University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Opera (2016–2023). A sought-after guest conductor, he has appeared with ensembles across the United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and England. Notable collaborations include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Heredia, the National Wind Orchestra of Guatemala, the Cherokee Symphony (IA), and the Emporia Symphony Orchestra (KS), among many others. His engagements also include prestigious conducting fellowships with the Allentown Symphony (PA), the Saratoga Orchestra (WA), and the Chamber Orchestra of New York. Recently, Viquez was named a Music Director finalist for both the Chamber Orchestra of Barrington at St. John’s (RI) and the Hastings Symphony Orchestra (NE). His discography includes the albums Costa Rica desde Afuera (recorded with the Heredia Symphony Orchestra), Observations On… (recorded with the University of South Dakota Symphony Orchestra), and El Ruido del Agua - Music by Eddie Mora, which was nominated for the 23rd Latin Grammy Awards in the category of Best Classical Music Album. Luis Viquez’s artistry extends beyond the podium as an accomplished clarinetist. He has appeared as a soloist with the South Dakota Symphony, the Sioux City Municipal Band, and the Heredia Symphony, with early career highlights including his time with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica and touring with the World Youth Wind Orchestra in Taiwan. His chamber music performances have been broadcast on South Dakota Public Broadcasting and the University of Costa Rica Broadcasting System. As a music scholar, his research has been published in notable journals across the U.S., Germany, and Costa Rica. Dr. Viquez holds degrees from the University of Costa Rica (BM in Clarinet Performance), Truman State University (MA in Clarinet Performance & MA in Wind Band Conducting), and the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (DMA in Orchestral Conducting). He is also a clarinet artist for Royal Global Clarinets and D’Addario Woodwinds. For more information, visit www.luisviquezmusic.com.
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Louis Vitello

Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra
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Member Bio Louis Vitello is in his third year as Music Director for the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra and is currently on the faculty at the University at Fredonia School of Music teaching undergraduate instrumental conducting classes as well as serving as the conductor for the Wind Symphony. In July 2025, Mr. Vitello retired from public school education after twenty-nine successful years of teaching at Clarence High School where he served as the conductor of the Wind Ensemble, AP Music Theory instructor, & Chairman of the Clarence Central School District Music Department. Mr. Vitello received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education and his master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University at Buffalo. While pursuing his master’s degree, he was a teaching assistant for the UB music department, which included serving as an associate conductor for university ensembles. In addition, he was a staff assistant conductor for the former Greater Buffalo Opera Company, was co-founder and director of the Western New York Youth Wind Ensemble, and has guest conducted all-county honor ensembles in the Western New York area and across New York State. His primary conducting teachers have included Charles Peltz, Sarah McKoin, Gary Burgess, Harold Farberman (Conductor’s Institute), and William Silvester. Ensembles under Mr. Vitello’s direction have performed at the Erie County Music Educators Association Conference (2024), the New York State School Music Association Conference (2022), the American Concert Band Association Annual Conference (2018), the New York State Band Director’s Association Annual Symposium (2014 & 2010), presented clinics at the New York State School Music Association Conference (2000) and the New York State Band Director’s Association Regional Workshop (2012). Additionally, Mr. Vitello has commissioned and/or premiered new compositions. These pieces include Persis Parshall Vehar’s Pan American Overture (2001), Stephen Melillo’s 21: Won Way (2011), Michael Vertoske’s Madrid (2011), David Maslanka’s Hymn for World Peace (2015), and Stephen Mellilo's Ark of the Covenant and In the Darkest Darkness (2018). In 2019, Mr. Vitello was honored by receiving the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/Erie County Music Educators Association Award for Excellence in Music Education, and in 2023 he was appointed to a position on the BPO education committee. Mr. Vitello is a member of the International Conductors Guild, National Association for Music Education, New York State School Music Association, Erie County Music Educators Association, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, New York State Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu International Music Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and is an honorary member of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Fraternity.
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Dr. T. Vives Ph.D.

Los Alamos Community Winds
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Member Bio Ted Vives, (b. 1964) originally from Auburn, Alabama, began music studies at the age of 4. His musical interests changed to trombone performance and composition upon entering the public school system. Vives holds bachelor’s degrees in both Composition and Music Education from Florida State University where he studied composition with John Boda and Charles Carter and conducting with James Croft. His trombone instructors have included William Cramer and John Drew. He also holds a Masters of Music in Composition and Music Theory and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Florida where he studied composition with Budd Udell and John D. White and conducting with David Waybright. Currently, Vives is in his 16th season as the Musical and Artistic director for the Los Alamos (NM) Community Winds - 1st Runner-up and 3rd Place in the 2012 and 2014 American Prize, (Community Wind Ensemble Division.) His arrangements and compositions for marching and concert band have been performed worldwide. His …and they pealed more loud and deep for wind ensemble won the North Cheshire (UK) 2003 Composition Competition and his fanfare for wind ensemble, For the Fair and the Brave, was commissioned by the Tallahassee Winds and performed during their 2004 tour of Australia. In 2003 and 2010, he received the honor of being selected as the Commissioned Composer for the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico. He is the winner of the 2011 American Prize in Composition (Choral Division.) Dr. Vives holds memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Kappa Phi, WASBE, Music Educators National Conference, Music Teachers National Association, National Band Association, and The Conductor’s Guild. He is the State Composition Chair for the Professional Music Teachers of New Mexico. In addition to his conducting duties, he performs as principal trombone with the Santa Fe Community Orchestra, and teaches low brass instruments privately. He resides in Los Alamos, New Mexico with his wife Paula, son Alex, and daughter Abby.
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Vlad Vizireanu

Northern Arizona University (DOA), Angeles Symphony Orchstra (MD)
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Member Bio Described as a conductor with “ample gestures, clarity, precision and genuine passion,” Vlad Vizireanu continues to make an impressive and dynamic mark on the music world as an international conductor and educator. A regular presence in the competition circuit, Vizireanu came to international attention when he won Second Prize in the 2013 Cadaqués Conducting Competition in a televised concert at Auditori Hall, Barcelona. He then made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Hall as Finalist in the 2016 Donatella Flick Competition. He was invited to the 2018 Malko Competition with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and was also invited among 14 conductors (out of 400 applicants worldwide) to participate in the renowned Mahler Conducting Competition with the Bamberg Symphony. As the winner of both the Only Stage & Hans von Bülow Conducting Competitions in 2021, recent engagements included the Orchestra di Milano La Verdi, Orchestra della Magna Grecia, Manchester Camerata, Wiener Kammerorchester, Orchestre National de Lille, Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Puebla, New Mexico Philharmonic, Rockford Symphony, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, Moldova Iași Philharmonic, Brașov Philharmonic, Sibiu State Philharmonic, Ploiești Philharmonic, Timișoara Philharmonic and Târgu Mureș Philharmonic. He has also served as cover conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, and Sarasota Orchestra. His primary conducting teachers were David Effron, Arthur Fagen, Timothy Russell, and William Reber. He holds degrees in conducting from Arizona State University (Doctor of Musical Arts), Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Master of Music), and studied musicology and piano performance at the University of California Los Angeles (Bachelor of Arts). Additionally, he studied with David Zinman at the 2016 Tonhalle Orchestra Masterclass, with Kurt Masur at the 2015 Manhattan School of Music Conducting Seminar and was selected for two consecutive years as one of seven conductors from around the world to study with Bernard Haitink at the 2013 and 2014 Lucerne Easter Festivals. Vizireanu was one of the last students of Lorin Maazel under full fellowship at the 2014 Castleton Festival. He also received the prestigious 2013 Chautauqua Conducting Fellowship in New York where he assisted Timothy Muffitt. Among his other mentors were Michael Tilson Thomas (2014, New World Symphony Masterclass), Neeme Järvi (2016, Gstaad Music Festival), Franz Welster-Möst (2010, IU Cleveland Orchestra Residency Masterclass), and the late James DePriest (2011, ASU Conducting Masterclass). In Fall 2013 he was invited to debut at the renowned Enescu Festival in Bucharest where he conducted a side-by-side concert with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Romanian Royal Camerata. He conducted the RRC again in the 2015 edition of the Enescu Festival with soloist, Rebekka Hartmann, and has since been reinvited to the 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions with the Orchestre National de Lille, Wiener Kammerorchester, and Manchester Camerata. An ardent advocate of new music, Vizireanu is the Founder & Executive Director of Impulse New Music Festival (INMF), which brings together young composers and instrumentalists to study and perform new compositions. Besides INMF’s numerous world premieres, Vizireanu has premiered and showcased new compositions with the Castleton Festival Orchestra, Cadaqués Symphony, and Hebrides New Music Ensemble. Some new works he has recently recorded include Light Show by Max Grafe, Scherzo for Orchestra by Joshua Groffman, and Evelyne Davis’ Concerto for Two Percussionists. He recently commissioned several new compositions by renowned Los Angeles composer, Michael Glenn Williams, and conducted the world premieres with the Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble and Sibiu Philharmonic. Vizireanu made his operatic debut in 2013 with Arizona State University Opera and Die Fledermaus. He served as assistant conductor to Lorin Maazel and Timothy Muffitt with productions of Les Dialogues des Carmelites, Madama Butterfly, and Don Giovanni. Vizireanu was recently appointed Regular Guest Conductor with the Moldova Iași and Ploiești Philharmonics in Romania as well as Director of Orchestras at Northern Arizona University’s Kitt School of Music. He served as Music Director of the Knox Galesburg Symphony in Illinois and the North Shore Symphony in New York, and previously served as Assistant Conductor for the Thousand Oaks Philharmonic and Conductor for New West Symphony’s Harmony Project and the Seraphim Symphony Youth Orchestra in California, which were aimed at inspiring young children to develop a lifelong love of music through education and exciting musical experiences. He also served as Artistic Director of Enescu & The Americas, an organization that fostered cultural exchange between Romania and the US.
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Giang Vo

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Member Bio Giang Vo holds a bachelor's degree in violin performance from Oklahoma City University, where he studied under Dr. Benjamin Shute and Dr. Sophia Ro. He additionally studied historical performance and harpsichord with Anastasia Abu Bakar. He has participated in masterclasses with notable artists such as Noah Bendix-Balgley from the Berlin Philharmonic and Sheryl Staples from the New York Philharmonic. Prior to attending Northwestern University, Giang served as co-artistic director and violinist with the Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra. His conducting education began with Professor Jeffrey Grogan at Oklahoma City University and Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. He has also been an apprentice conductor for several Classics concerts with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Currently, Giang studies under Donald Schleicher and holds the position of graduate assistant conductor for both the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra and the Northwestern University Philharmonia Orchestra. He recently made his operatic debut, assisting Benjamin Manis in conducting a production of Cosi fan tutte with the Northwestern University Opera company. With the success of Così fan tutte, Giang was invited by the Northwestern University Opera department to be their music director for their Fall 2024 production of Albert Herring.
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Joseph Vranas

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Member Bio Joseph Vranas is a conductor, composer, and music educator in Los Angeles, California. He is the Artistic Director of the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles, conductor of the GFBLA Concert Band, and a conductor of the Camino Nuevo Youth Orchestra as a part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s YOLA Program. His passion for community and education has been central to his career, and he has held conducting positions with the Saturday Conservatory of Music and Harmony Project's Youth Orchestras and Wind Ensembles, and assisted music and art programs at Bell High School through EduCare. Joseph’s diverse conducting career has taken him to stages across the United States and internationally. He has appeared as a conductor with the Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, the Pride Bands Alliance national conference in Denver, the Pacific Artists Collective in Oregon, and the Maryland Chamber Winds in Virginia. As a composer, Joseph has written for a wide range of settings, including concert hall, ballet, film, and theatre. His works have been performed in Bolivia, France, Germany, and across the US, earning him recognition from the Houston 48 Hour Film Competition, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, the Bolivian Music Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. Joseph holds Masters degrees in Composition and Trumpet Performance from the University of Oregon, and studied Composition and Music Education at Sam Houston State University. With more than 10 years of experience teaching high brass, music theory, and music history to students ranging from elementary school to college, he believes strongly in the transformative power of music education. His dedication has been recognized by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) and the City of Bell.
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