2025 Conducting Symposium
The 成人大片School of Music is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 14th Annual 成人大片Conducting Symposium on September 13-14, 2025 at the 成人大片Fine Arts Center.
Pricing
Conductor Participant $195
- Limited to 18 conductors, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Please provide your own scores
- After slots are filled, additional may elect auditor status or waiting list
- All fees are non-refundable upon confirmation of slot
- Two fifteen-minute conducting sessions with the 成人大片Wind Symphony, one coached by Jason Calsor and one coached by Kristen Zelenak
- Two fifteen-minute video sessions following conducting session, one with Phil Vallejo and one with Devan Moore
Observer Participant $75
- Unlimited observer spots
- Please provide your own scores
- All fees are non-refundable upon confirmation
- Observers attend all sessions but without one-on-one podium time and post-podium time
*Please note that there will be a price increase of $50 if purchased after 09/01/2025.*
Repertoire
Conducting Symposium 2025 Repertoire
Please contact Dr. Kristen Zelenak with any questions.
Schedule
Saturday
- Welcome and Introductions
- Topic Session with Phil Vallejo
- Topic Session with Devan Moore
- Lunch
- Conducting Sessions with the 成人大片Wind Symphony
- Reception
Sunday
- Topic Session with Kristen Zelenak
- Topic Session with Jason Caslor
- Q&A session with clinicians
- Lunch
- Conducting Sessions with the 成人大片Wind Symphony
- Symposium Wrap-up
Clinicians
-
Dr. Kristen Zelenak
Kristen Zelenak is currently a Visiting Professor at the 成人大片 and serves as the Interim Director of Bands. She teaches the 成人大片Wind Symphony, “Sound of the Sky” Osprey Pep Band, conducting classes, and applied lessons.Zelenak is an active educator, conductor, and chamber musician from New Baltimore, Michigan. She maintains an active schedule as a concert and marching band clinician and adjudicator. Along with her conducting endeavors, she also performs with her saxophone/piano duo, ZelenArch and teaches saxophone at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach.Her favorite projects include commissioning new works from composers of “non classical” spheres. Her debut saxophone album Taking Flight is set to release soon, and it features composers Annie Booth, Ayn Inserto, Katelyn Vincent, Aida de Moya, Yoko Suzuki, and Sam Spear. As a continuation of the project, she is leading a consortium with Annie Booth for a new work for concert band in Fall 2025.Prior to her appointment at UNF, she was the Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She received her DMA in Saxophone Performance and MM in Wind Band Conducting from Arizona State University. Her MM in Saxophone Performance from Michigan State University and her BME at Central Michigan University. Her teachers include Jason Caslor, Christopher Creviston, Joseph Lulloff, and John Nichol. Prior to finishing her advanced degrees, she taught middle school band in Huntsville, TX.
-
Dr. Jason Caslor
Born and raised in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, Jason Caslor is currently an associate professor of music and the director of bands at Arizona State University (ASU). In addition to directing the wind ensemble, he also mentors graduate conducting students and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting courses. Recent highlights include first commercial recordings of Kevin Day’s 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music nominated and Carter Pann’s with the ASU Wind Ensemble.From 2015-2019, Caslor was an assistant professor and the associate director of bands and orchestras at ASU. Highlights of that time include founding the now firmly established ASU Philharmonia and being nominated for ASU’s Outstanding Master’s Mentor Award. From 2010-2015, Caslor was an assistant professor of instrumental conducting at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada where he conducted the wind ensemble and oversaw the undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting programs. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as resident conductor with the (TBSO). During his tenure with the TBSO, he conducted more than 75 concerts (including a CBC Radio national broadcast) and recorded a full-length, internationally distributed CD with Canadian blues artist .A , Caslor has guest conducted or adjudicated in every province in Canada and throughout the United States. In addition to numerous regional engagements, Caslor has conducted the , the , the South Dakota All State Band, the South Dakota Intercollegiate Band, and the Alberta Wind Symphony. He also served as a conducting clinician for the inaugural CASMEC Conducting Symposium.A fiercely proud Canadian currently living amongst cacti, Caslor’s co-founding and leadership over the ’s (CBA) lead to him being the recipient of the CBA’s 2022 International Band Award. The award recognizes those individuals who have embraced the ideals of the CBA and have contributed to the promotion, growth and development of the musical, educational and cultural values of Canadian band outside of Canada.As a researcher, he has presented his work at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the WASBE International Conference, the CBDNA National Conference, the IGEB International Conference on Wind Music, the International Society for Music Education World Conference, and the Riksförbundet Unga Musikanter Wind Band Symposium (Sweden). He has also published numerous articles, most prominently in the Canadian Winds journal.Caslor completed his doctorate in conducting at Arizona State University. Prior to earning a master's in conducting from the University of Manitoba, he earned dual bachelor's in music and education from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
-
Dr. Phil Vallejo
With nearly 20 years of public school teaching experience, Phil Vallejo is a music educator that finds inspiration serving his students, community and music education as a whole.
Phil is proud to serve as the Director of Bands at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Prior to his arrival at Marshall University, he served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at Oklahoma State University.
Phil holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, as well as both a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education, and a Master of Arts Degree in Music Performance (Conducting), both from California State University, Fresno. Throughout his undergraduate and graduate degrees, Phil was blessed with great teachers and mentors such as Gary Gilroy, Jason Caslor, Lawrence Sutherland, Jamal Duncan, James Hudson, and Matt Darling.
He has also been a volunteer for the California Band Directors Association and is currently serving as the Immediate Past President for CBDA. Prior to this, he served as the President from 2018-2020 and before that was the conference coordinator for California All State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC). During this time, Phil Vallejo and Jeff Detlefsen were responsible for overseeing all aspects of the student and attendee experience.
Phil is committed to promoting new music and has been a member of consortiums with Brett Abigaña, Steven Bryant, Katajh Copley, James David, Kevin Day, Marie Douglas, Arturo Márquez, Vince Oliver, Tyler Ono, Nicole Piunno, Shruthi Rajasekar, David Reeves, Jonathan Russell, Giovanni Santos, Elena Specht, and James Syler.
In his spare time, Phil enjoys hanging out with his wife Courtney and their three beautiful children, as well as playing basketball.
-
Dr. Devan Moore
Dr. Devan L. Moore is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at Florida State University. She assists with all aspects of the athletic bands (Marching Chiefs and Seminole Sound), conducts the University Concert Band, and teaches various courses in music education. Prior to her appointment in the College of Music, she was the Assistant Director of Bands at Oklahoma State University.Dr. Moore, a native of Tallahassee, FL, attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) where she earned the Bachelor of Science in Music Education. She also earned the Master of Music Education and holds a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Wind Band Conducting from Florida State University. Dr. Moore’s dissertation is titled, The Chocolate Maestra: A Narrative Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Black Female Band Directors. Her conducting teachers and mentors include Prof. Richard Clary, Dr. Patrick Dunnigan, Dr. Alex Jimenez, Dr. Michael Hanawalt, Dr. Julian White, and Dr. Shelby Chipman.Dr. Moore has previously held positions as Director of Bands and Orchestra at Fairview Middle School (FL), Assistant Band Director at James S. Rickards High School (FL), Band Director at R. Frank Nims Middle School (FL), and Assistant Band Director at Mundy’s Mill High School (GA).Dr. Moore holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Educators, National Band Association, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, a founding member of the Association of Black Women Band Directors, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, and Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity. She is active as an adjudicator and clinician, serving as a solo/ensemble adjudicator, concert band adjudicator, and clinician for district and state honor bands, as well as school ensembles.