Conductors
Vesna Mehinovic-Principal
Orchestra Conductor
Vesna Mehinovic is the Conductor for the Principal
Orchestra. She began her formal education in music by receiving a
diploma in Music Theory and Piano Teaching and Performing from the
High School for Music in
Sarajevo. She
continued her Bachelor of Arts degree in Conducting and Music Theory
at the Sarajevo Music Academy, and a Master of Arts in Conducting
and Music Theory at Wesleyan University in Middletown.
Vesna has been the recipient of many honors in her native
country, and is the first professional woman to conduct an orchestra
in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. She specialized in Conduction at the Academy for
Music and Stage Arts in Graz, Austria in the class of Milan Horvat.
Ms. Mehinovic has also served as guest conductor for orchestras in
Austria, Serbia, and Croatia.
While in the
United States,
she has worked with several church and non-religious choirs both in
Connecticut and Arizona. As a music teacher Vesna has taught in many
elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as having worked with
college students at Yale and Wesleyan Universities.
Currently, she is
conductor and music director for the Hamden Symphony Orchestra,
teaches music at a number of elementary schools in the greater New
Haven area and continues to teach privately as well as conducting
our GWYS group in Waterbury
Refik Ismail
-Symphonette Orchestra Conductor
Refik Ismail is the Conductor of the Symphonette Orchestra.
He received his Bachelor of Music Performance degree, with emphasis
on the Cello from the
University
of Houston in Texas in 2003. He was the recipient of the Hirsch and
Soros Scholarships for Excellence in music performance.
Upon completion of his degree, he began to teach the cello
at Memorial School of Music in
Houston, where he
developed a program that, not only challenged his students’ level of
ability, but also trained them to understand and to perform a period
piece in the style that it was written.
In his brief career, Refik has already performed with a
number of orchestras, namely, the Ohio Light Opera orchestra, the
Orchestra of the Texas Music Festival, and the American – Russian
Youth orchestra. He participated in master classes under the direction
of outstanding cellists such as Daniel Phillips, David Finckel, and
Laszlo Varga. Mr. Ismail has also studied with Vagram Saradijan and
Terry King.
Currently, Mr. Ismail is a music teacher with the Waterbury
Public School System.
___________________________
Jared Cordell -
Debut Orchestra Conductor
Jared Cordell is the Conductor of the Debut Orchestra. He
received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Hartt School of Music
in
Hartford in 2003.
In his brief career, he has made an impact with young
people and music. Jared worked with Future Musicians of Connecticut,
Greater New Haven region and the Future Musicians Regional concert.
In 2006, he was the All State Concert Band Conductor, and the Future
Musician All State Jazz staff in
Connecticut,
where he was made chairperson.
Currently, he works with the Bi-County Collaborative
Education program in
Franklin,
MA.
