Assistant Director

Brian DeMaris

curriculum vita

OFFICE:

Studio **06

Whalen Center for Music

Ithaca College - School of Music

*** ***** ****

Ithaca, NY 14850

607-***-**** (office)

********@******.***

POSITIONS

Director of Opera and Musical Theater, Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY

2008-present

Responsible for season planning, casting, orchestra player selection for both opera and

musical theatre productions,

in collaboration with the School of Music and the department of theatre arts performance

faculty.

Conductor / Music Director for opera and musical theatre productions:Magic Flute, Orfeo,

Chicago, TheLittle

Prince(regional premiere in collaboration with Ithaca Children's Choir), Cendrillon,

L'Enfant et les Sortileges, Wild

Party, Suor Angelica, Children of Eden,Light in the Piazza.

Instructor for the Opera Workshop (presenting scenes, one-acts and full length operas);

stage directed full

production ofSuor Angelica

Instructor for the Musical Theatre Workshop (presenting songs, duets and ensembles)

Private conducting instructor for master's degree students

Vocal coach and Collaborative Pianist for faculty recitals (Joint voice faculty Schubert

Abend, joint voice faculty

performance of La Voix Humaine and The Telephone (with Brad Hougham, Amanda DeMaris, and

Deborah Lifton)

Vocal coach for student vocal performance majors and musical theatre majors

Recruiting prospective graduate students for the opera program and actively involved in

auditions for the B.F.A.

musical theatre program

School of Music: Voice search committee

(

2009-10), Guest Artist Committee (2010-2011)

Department of theatre arts: Performance area faculty meetings, all relevant production

meetings

All-college: IC(2) Committee, Protestant Community Board, Protestant Chaplain Search

Committee

Coordinate the student piano accompanists for the musical and opera productions, and

workshop classes

Coordinate xtra-curricular performance opportunity that focuses on performing in the

Ithaca community.

Performances at Senior groups (Longview), downtown Ithaca, and performances at the

Metropolitan Opera Live HD

Broadcasts at Regal Cinemas

Participant in end-of-semester B.F.A. review process for all musical theater freshmen and

sophomores. Vocal coach

for end of year Singing Review for all musical theatre freshmen and sophomores.

Coordinated two workshops of IC Professor Dana Wilson's original operaThe Wolf by the

Ears(based on Thomas

Jefferson and Sally Hemings).

Artist-Faculty, Aspen Music Festival and School - Aspen, CO

2010 to present

Musically direct and conduct weekly opera scenes master classes with Edward Berkeley,

stage director (Juilliard

Opera Center). Select and cast opera scenes. Supervise, mentor, and teach 6-8 Aspen Opera

Theater vocal coaching

fellowship artists. Assist and teach American Conducting Academy conducting fellowship

artists. Teach up to 60

voice students at Aspen Opera Theater Center.

Chorus Master for Pulitzer Prize and Oscar winning composer John Corigliano'sThe Ghosts

of Versailles,

conducted by Michael Christie, at Wheeler Opera House (2010)

Principal coach forThe Ghosts of Versaillesand Mozart'sMarriage of Figaro(2010)

Principal coach forMidsummer Night's Dream(2011), conducted by Jane Glover

Principal coach and chorus master for Leonard Bernstein'sWest Side Story(2011), conducted

by Michael Christie

Vocal Coach/Repetiteur, Opera Theater of Saint Louis - Saint Louis, MO

2009-present

Principal rehearsal pianist for world premiere of the revised version of Pulitzer Prize

winning composer John

Corigliano'sGhosts of Versailles, and second rehearsal pianist for Puccini'sLa

Boheme(2009)

Principal rehearsal pianist for world premiere of Peter Ash'sGolden Ticket, an opera

based on Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory, and second pianist for Tchaikowsky'sEugene Onegin(2010)

Pre-performance lectures forGolden TicketandGhosts of Versailles

Orchestral pianist with Grammy Award winning Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra

Pianist for master classes with Steven Lord, Craig Ruttenberg, Erie Mills, Tracy Dahl,

and others

Principal Guest Conductor, Music Saint Croix - Stillwater, MN

2006 to present

Conduct two concerts annually at Stillwater County Courthouse in Stillwater, MN

Conducted works include Mark Phillips'Dreams Interrupted, Strauss'Till Eulenspiegel,

Copland'sAppalachian

Spring, Mozart'sSymphony No. 39 in A Major, Dvorak'sSerenade for Winds in D minor, among

other works

Music Director, Mill City opera - Minneapolis, MN (beginning 2012)

Conduct annual summer opera production and organize orchestral concert, scenes program,

and chamber music

programs

I Pagliacci(2012)

Select repertoire, and hire, prepare and conduct cast and orchestra.

Conductor and Pianist - United States and abroad

2005 to present

Conductor of Stefan Weisman'sDarklingwith American Opera Projects at Classical Stage

Company in New York

City with additional performances at the German Consulate at the United Nations, Freie

Universitat in Berlin

Germany, and in Gniezno, Poland. Recorded on Albany Records with the Flux Quartet (2010)

at the American

Academy of Arts and Letters

Conductor of Middle Eastern premiere of Mark Adamo'sLittle Womenwith International Vocal

Arts Institute and

the Israel Chamber Orchestra in Tel Aviv, Israel

Conductor for grand opening of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music

Music Director and pianist for Poulenc'sLa Voix Humaineand Menotti'sThe Telephoneat the

Kitchen Theater

Company (

Ithaca, NY), 2010

Associate Conductor, New York City Opera - New York, NY

2006-2008

Conducted bow and exit music forPirates of PenzanceandThe Little Prince

Served as associate and cover conductor on productions ofPatience, Pirates of Penzance,

The Little Prince, Don

Giovanni,andFlavio

Conducted principal staging, orchestra, and cover rehearsals as assigned

Conducted cover runs

Guest Lecturer/Interim Director of Opera, Lawrence University - Appleton, WI

2007

Teach German Lyric Diction

Cast and prepared cast and chorus for Nicolai'sMerry Wives of Windsor

Organized and taught German diction and song repertoire seminar at Bjorklunden research

retreat

Guest Conductor with Lawrence Symphony Orchestra

Artistic Director and Conductor, The Alpha Omega Ensemble - New York, NY

2005-present

Founded organization and recruited board of directors and musicians

Conducted performances and repeat performances of over a dozen Bach Canatatas (4, 34, 35,

50, 60, 61,70, 74, 82,

96, 147, 196, etc.),

choral cantatas and solo chamber works by Handel, Vivaldi, and Buxtehude, as well as

contemporary works by

Copland, Adams, Theofanidis, and Corigliano.

Conducted world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis' "Now's the Time" orchestrated for

the ensemble.

Recruit and contract professional singers and orchestra members

Coordinate rehearsals and performances, venues, and schedules

Conductor rehearsals and performances of primarily oratorio repertoire

Assist with development, fund-raising, advertising, and booking

Organize annual concert with Sing for Hope (www.singforhope.org) to benefit New York City

homeless shelters -

raised to date over $6,000 for homeless causes in New York City.

Resident Conductor, American Lyric Theater - New York, NY

2003-present

Music director and pianist forLa Voix Humaineat New York University's Maison Francaise in

New York City with

soprano Caroline Worra Music director and pianist forAdam and Eve, 4 one-act operas by

Aleksandra Vrebalov, Jay

Anthony Gach, Patrick Soluri, and Jeff Meyers, premiered at Symphony Space in New York

City, featuring Tony

Award winning actor Chuck Cooper

Music director and pianist for two workshop productions of Peter Ash'sGolden Ticketat

Round About Theater

Studios (2007

) and Jazz at

Lincoln Center (2009)

Resident Conductor, Ash Lawn Opera Festival - Charlottesville, VA

2005-2007

Responsible for the overall musical aesthetic of the festival. In collaboration with the

general director, responsible

for casting principal and supporting roles, season selection, guest conductor hiring,

orchestra hiring and contract

negotiations, rehearsal pianist contracts, and production schedule

Conducted performances ofLa Boheme, Madama Butterly, Annie Get Your Gun, Sound of Music,

West Side Story,

andThe Merry Widow

Cast principal artists and young artists and hired music staff through national auditions

held annually in New York

City

Coordinated all musical aspects of scenes programs, recital series, and outreach events

Served as principal coach and assistant conductor to guest directors

Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor, Florida Grand Opera - Miami, FL

2007-2008

Chorus master forLa Boheme

Assistant Conductor to Gary Thor Wedow for Handel'sGiulio Cesare, and assistant conductor

to Sir Richard

Bonynge for Bellini'sLa Sonnambula,directed by Renata Scotto

Conducted stage banda for Handel'sGiulio Cesare

Coached principals, covers, and young artists

Assistant Conductor and Music Staff, Glimmerglass Opera - Cooperstown, NY

2004

Assistant conductor to Andrew Bisantz for Patience, pianist for Richard Rodney Bennett's

Mines of Sulphur

(recorded on the Chandos label and nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005).

Coached principals, covers, and young artists

Played for Young American Artist recital series

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Assistant Conductor to Richard Bonynge at Florida Grand Opera

Studio pianist for Metropolitan Opera soprano Ruth Falcon

Studio pianist for Metropolitan Opera soprano Diana Soviero

Studio pianist for Virginia Zeanni

Pianist for master classes with Marilyn Horne, Evelyn Lear, Thomas Stewart, Martin Katz,

Pierre Valet, and Craig Ruttenburg

EDUCATION

M.M. Performance - New England Conservatory (2004)with honors: Studies with John

Moriarty, John Greer, Irma Valecillo, Veronica Jochum.

B.M. Perofrmance - Ithaca College (2002)summa cum laude: Studies with Read Gainsford,

Patrick Hansen

APPRENTICESHIPS

Young Artist Pianist, Florida Grand Opera (2004-2005)

Young American Artist Pianist, Glimmerglass Opera (2002-2003)

HONORS

Phi Kappa Phi President's Award, Ithaca College (2002)

Pennsylvania State Citizen Award (1998)

Bell Atlantic Meritorious Leadership Award (1997)

Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts (1996)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Phi Kappa Phi

Phi Kappa Lambda

Conductor's Guild

Opera America

Sing for Hope

PUBLICATIONS AND RECORDINGS

Designer and editor of The Scenes Database (www.scenes-database).com, a free web database

of

operatic and musical theater scene selections searchable by selected parameters, accessed

regularly by thousands of users.

Curator of opera repertoire database on Velvet Singer (www.velvetsinger.com), a

professional

singer's journaling software program.

Assisted with preparation of final piano-vocal score of Pulitzer Prize winning composer

John

Corigliano'sGhosts of Versailles.Pub. G. Schirmer (upcoming)

Editor of piano-vocal score of Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock'sThe Golden Ticket, Music

Link

International - in preparation for publication by Peters International Edition (upcoming)

Conductor,Darkling, world premiere recording: Albany Records, 2010.

Served as rehearsal pianist for Grammy-nominated recording of Richard Rodney Bennett's

The

Mines of Sulphurat Glimmerglass Opera with Stewart Robertson, conductor. Chandos Label,

2005

Assisted with

The Rosary in Song(album) with mezzo-soprano Valerie Nicolosi

Songs from Upstate (album) with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Kay, soprano Amanda DeMaris, and

pianist Nathan Hess

Alone in the Dark, three songs set to poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay (2010)

Three Songs of Innocence, songs set to poetry of William Blake (2010)

COMPOSITIONS

Dorian Gray: the musicalpremiered as a staged reading at Ephrata Playhouse in the Park

(2003)

Alone in the Dark, three songs set to poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, premiered at

Central

City Opera by Dutch mezzo-soprano Fenna Ograjensek (2005)

Three Songs of Innocence, songs set to poetry of William Blake

RECITALS

Pianist forThe Rosary in Songwith mezzo-soprano Valerie Nicolosi; ongoing performances

throughout the United States

Pianist for Young Artist recital series at Ash Lawn Opera Festival

Collaborative Pianist in the Glimmerglass Opera's Young American Artist Program recital

series

(2002-2005)

Various recitals as collaborative pianist throughout the United States

Various solo piano recitals throughout the United States

REFERENCES

(available upon request

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