24-25 Program Book - Flipbook - Page 15
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 at William Carey University to conduct the orchestra for a production of
Mozart’s The Magic Flute 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 K. O’Brien brings music alive as
director of orchestra at Indiana University
of Pennsylvania, assistant conductor of the
York Symphony Orchestra and Williamsport
Symphony Orchestra, and guest conductor
of the Altoona Symphony. Recently winning
the International Conducting Workshop and
Competition in Denver, she will guest conduct
the Denver Philharmonic in their 20242025 season. Nominated for the Williamson
Fellowship of the Arts, she traveled to Portugal
for the Atlantic Coast International Conducting Workshop and Competition,
winning an invitation to return as assistant conductor for a subscription
concert. Supporting the growth of young musicians, Ms. O’Brien appears often
as a guest conductor for middle school and high school 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. To keep
herself grounded, she can often 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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