Biography

, is in her seventh season as music director of the All University Orchestra at Carnegie Mellon University. During her tenure, the orchestra has grown to over 90 members, and in April 2008 debuted the String Theory chamber orchestra. She is currently working towards a Masters degree in Conducting, studying with Maestro Robert Page, and serves as a conducting assistant for the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. In January 2008, Maria made her opera conducting debut in a performance of Menotti's The Consul with the Carnegie Mellon School of Music. Maria has recently been awarded the 2008 Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity Conducting Scholarship in memory of Bobbie Burk.

This summer, Maria conducted at the 2008 Oregon Bach Festival Masterclass in Choral-Orchestral Conducting with Maestro Helmuth Rilling, the 2008 California Conducting Institute, and the London Conducting Workshop at the Royal College of Music. In these and previous workshops, Maria has worked with a number of maestros including John Farrer, Daniel Lewis, Neil Thompson, Donald Thulean, Nicholas McGegan, Samuel Jones, and Paul Vermel.

Previously, Maria earned MM and BFA degrees in composition (studying with Nancy Galbraith), music education certification, as well as BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering. In March 2007, her orchestra piece ...and Chi Dances... was premiered by the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. She is a teaching assistant for the Dalcroze Eurhythmics program in the School of Music at CMU, and teaches at the Pittsburgh Music Academy. She is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, the Conductor's Guild, League of American Orchestras, and the Phi Beta Kappa national honor society.