2025-26 Program Book - Other - Page 14
ABOUT CARLOS CASILLA-NOVA
Barbara and Roy Rollman Chorusmaster
A native of the Dominican Republic, Carlos CasillaNova is a graduate of William Carey University
and Louisiana State University. While at William
Carey, Carlos earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano
Performance and Vocal Performance. During his
time at Louisiana State University, Carlos earned
a Masters in Music in Choral Conducting and was
part of the LSU A Cappella Choir, Tiger Glee Club,
and was the Music Director for the Hispanic Mass
at Christ the King Catholic Church.
As a conductor, Carlos served as the rehearsal conductor and music director for
the Dominican debut of El Milagro de Fátima: El Musical. In the US, he made his
conducting debut as the first undergraduate student to conduct the orchestra
for a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at William Carey University in 2015.
His work has been praised by many, including the Pennsylvania Chapter of the
American Choral Directors Association who honored him with the Outstanding
Young Conductor Award in 2022. Carlos currently serves as an Upper School
Music Teacher and Choral Director at The Park School of Baltimore, as well
as the Artistic Director of the York County Honors Choir and Conductor of the
Senior Honors Choir.
ABOUT REBEKAH O'BRIEN
Arthur J. & Lee R. Glatfelter Assistant Conductor
Rebekah Kathleen O’Brien serves as director of
orchestras at Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
and has led the Lancaster, York, Altoona and
Williamsport Symphony Orchestras in concert. After
traveling to Chile to conduct the Chamber Orchestra
of the Municipal de Santiago in a series of concerts
highlighting women conductors, she founded
the New Ground Orchestra Festival, dedicated to
supporting health and community for professional
musicians. Awards include the Williamson
Fellowship of the Arts and Denver Philharmonic's
International Conducting Competition.
Supporting the growth of young musicians, Ms. O’Brien regularly appears as a
guest conductor for educational festivals. Passionate about bringing music to a
wide variety of communities, she has taken her orchestras on tours of Europe and
inside the walls of high security prisons. Ms. O’Brien is thankful for the examples
and foundation provided by her teachers: Maestros Gerardo Edelstein, Murry
Sidlin, and Simeone Tartaglione. Also trained in the art of Eurythmy, Ms. O’Brien
teaches at the Susquehanna Waldorf School in Marietta, PA. To keep herself
grounded, she can be found under the hood of a car, learning from her supportive
husband, Jeff Erickson. Ms. O’Brien lives in State College, Pennsylvania, with her
family and inspiring daughter, Genavieve.
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