Music Directors
Yaniv Segal
2009 - 2010Yaniv Segal, described in Esquire Magazine as a rising star who is "redefining classical music," has performed worldwide as a singer, violinist, actor and conductor. He is the music director of the Michigan Pops Orchestra in Ann Arbor, where he is studying for a master's degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Michigan with Kenneth Kiesler. Yaniv regularly conducts the Chelsea Symphony in New York - an orchestra which he cofounded in 2005 and is dedicated to teamwork and performance opportunities for upcoming musicians.
The son of a violinist and violin-maker, Yaniv began to play the violin at age four and began singing at age eight. As a boy, Yaniv sang at the Metropolitan Opera under conductors such as James Levine, Valery Gerghiev, and Georg Solti, and between 1992-1993 played the role of Colin in the first national tour of the Secret Garden. His acting career continued with a role in Tom Stoppard's "Hapgood" at Lincoln Center Theater, where he shared the stage with Stockhard Channing, David Strathairn, David Lansbury and others.
As an undergraduate at Vassar College, Yaniv co-founded and served as music director of the Mahagonny Ensemble - a student ensemble dedicated to music of the past 100 years - and as assistant conductor to the Vassar College Orchestra. He has since worked as an assistant with the New York Youth Symphony, Princeton Symphony and at the Manhattan School of Music. Yaniv has also conducted the University Symphony, Greenwich Village and New Symphony (Bulgaria) Orchestras, the Wroclaw (Poland) and Thuringen (Germany) Philharmonics, and the Ukrainian State and Stamford Young People's Symphonies.
Yaniv is a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, and the Ada L. Hopkins Scholarship at the University of Michigan.
Christopher Orion Rountree
2008 - 2009A graduate student in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Christopher Orion Rountree studies orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler. He works with four other orchestras on campus; serving as conductor of the Campus Symphony and Philharmonia, guest conductor of the University Philharmonia, and assistant conductor of the University Symphony. Before coming to Michigan, Christopher was principal conductor of the La Primavera Youth Orchestra in Orange County, California, and was a private student of Joana Carneiro.
Alex Sutton
2007 - 2008Alex Sutton continues his tenure with the Michigan Pops Orchestra, this year as Conductor for "Pops Goes Wild". A native of Milan, MI, Alex Sutton is currently pursuing undergraduate studies in music education and conducting at The University of Michigan. He has studied conducting with Paul Rardin and Andrew George, and studies voice with Caroline Helton. During his tenure at Michigan, Alex has had the honor of performing under the batons of internationally-acclaimed conductors Helmuth Rilling and Valery Gergiev, and has participated in conducting workshops with Jerry Blackstone and Sigrid Johnson. Alex has conducted the University of Michigan Arts Chorale, Orpheus Singers, and Campus Philharmonia Orchestra, and in April 2006, he premiered media artist Angela Veomett's multimedia cantata Chernobyl Generation, scored for women's chorus and digital media.
John Zastoupil
2006 - 2007John Zastoupil now serves as Interim Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Marching Band at Eastern Michigan University. His responsibilities also include conducting the Symphonic Band and teaching undergraduate conducting courses.
Prior to his appointment at Eastern Michigan, John completed a Masters of Music in Wind Conducting from the University of Michigan. While attending Michigan, John served as Associate Conductor of the Campus Bands, guest conductor of the Michigan Symphony and Concert Bands, and staff assistant to the Michigan Marching Band. Before Michigan, he completed a Bachelor's in Music Education from Baylor University in Waco, TX. At Baylor, he guest conducted the Baylor Wind Ensemble, conducted a concert with the Chamber Winds, and performed in nearly all ensembles at Baylor and professional ensembles in the central Texas area.
From April 2006-May 2007, John held the position as Music Director of the Michigan Pops Orchestra. With Pops, he was responsible for the production, presentation, and programming of a 100-piece full orchestra and 30-member choir along with being the principal arranger of the orchestra.
Prof. Zastoupil has served as a guest clinician in the states of Michigan and Texas. His professional affiliations include the College Music Society, College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and Texas Music Educators Association.
Chris Lees
2002 - 2006Christopher Lees is the Interim Assistant Conductor of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director for the Akron Youth Symphony, appointed in 2007 by Music Director Christopher Wilkins.
In 2006, he was only the second American conductor chosen for the Zander Fellowship with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, where he assisted and traveled with Music Director Benjamin Zander. A dedicated advocate of contemporary American music, he has premiered numerous new works, and served for a season as Associate Music Director for the Boston-based Juventas New Music Ensemble.
In 2007, Christopher was awarded a Conducting Fellowship at the Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordao in Brazil. Last year, Christopher was a finalist in the American Conducting Fellows Program, sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Baltimore Symphony Conducting Fellowship Program, and the London Philharmonic's International Young Conductors Academy. In 2003, Christopher was awarded first prize in the National Undergraduate Conducting Competition in New York City sponsored by the ACDA.
While attending the University of Michigan, Christopher received degrees in Performance and Music Education (BM), and studied Orchestral Conducting (MM) with Kenneth Kiesler. He was the Music Director of the University of Michigan Pops Orchestra for four consecutive seasons and founded Philharmonia 125, an orchestra whose programs of American music celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance. Christopher has participated in numerous conducting workshops, led by Lorin Maazel, Gustav Meier, Jorma Panula, Larry Rachleff and Roberto Minczuk, among others.
Karl Shymanovitz
2001 - 2002
Douglas Martin
2001
Steve Jarvi
1999 - 2001Described as an “eloquent and decisive” conductor by the Wall Street Journal and praised for his “uncommonly expressive and detailed” performances by the Miami Herald, Steven Jarvi is recognized as a dynamic talent with an equal passion for the concert hall and the opera house. Mr. Jarvi is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony after having completed his duties as the Conducting Fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach and as an Associate Conductor for the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center.
In January of 2009, Mr. Jarvi made his unscheduled Kansas City Symphony Classical Series debut conducting Sibelius 5th Symphony and Brahms’ Violin Concerto with Midori, filling in on short notice for Music Director, Michael Stern who was awaiting the birth of his second child. Steven returns twice this season to Miami Beach appearing on the New World Symphony’s Charles Ives In-Context Festival and leading one of their popular Concerts for Kids. He has previously shared subscription concerts in Miami with Michael Tilson Thomas, Roberto Abbado, Marin Alsop, Mark Wigglesworth and Alasdair Neale, has served as a cover conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and conducted the Helsinki Philharmonic as a competitor in the 3rd Sibelius International Conducting Competition in Helsinki, Finland.
At the age of 21, Steven traveled to Austria at the invitation of Claudio Abbado for observation and study with the maestro and the Berlin Philharmonic at the Salzburg Easter Festival. He was later selected by former New York Philharmonic Music Director, Kurt Masur, to appear on a concert with Masur at Manhattan School of Music as part of a week long master class. In 2005, as the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, Steven was one of two conductors selected to study under the, then newly appointed, Music Director of the Boston Symphony, James Levine, and conducted critically praised performances with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. A frequent performer of new music, he has collaborated with many of the world’s most celebrated composers including Henri Dutilleux, John Adams, John Zorn, Augusta Read Thomas, Steven Mackey, Jennifer Higdon and Leon Kirchner, has conducted at Tanglewood’s
Festival of Contemporary Music, and regularly leads performances at New York City Opera’s annual VOX Festival Showcasing American Composers.
Mr. Jarvi was the first conductor ever invited to be a member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera, a position he was personally selected for by Plácido Domingo. He has held conducting positions for over 30 opera productions with companies including the Washington National Opera, New York City Opera, Baltimore Lyric Opera, Opera Company of Brooklyn and Peabody Opera. Steven is also the Principal Guest Conductor of Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble in New York City.
Raised in Grand Haven, Michigan, Steven Jarvi holds a Bachelor’s of Music Theory from the University of Michigan where he studied with Kenneth Kiesler, Martin Katz and Jerry Blackstone, along with a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Gustav Meier.
Steve Huang
1998 - 1999
Steve Bizub
1995 - 1998Steve Bizub, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, received his BMus in Performance in 1998 from the University of Michigan and MM in Music Education in 2007 from Oakland University. As a freshman at U-M, he asked to join the Michigan Pops Orchestra in its founding year, and was the first Music Director of the Orchestra, a position he held three seasons from 1995-1998. During his second year at U-M, Steve was admitted into the School of Music's Artist and Scholar Honors Program which allowed him to study both saxophone with Professor Donald Sinta and conducting with Professors Martin Katz and Ken Kiesler. While at U-M Steve also served as Music Director for the University of Michigan Gilbert & Sullivan Society (UMGASS) as well as Assistant Conductor of the UMS Choral Union. After his undergraduate studies, Steve spent six years in Tokyo, Japan, where he taught middle school instrumental and general music at Nishimachi International School. In Tokyo, Steve studied Japanese drumming with the taiko group Amanojaku. He also studied tabla drumming in Northern India and drumming and dancing traditions in Ghana. He currently resides in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where he is a Special Lecturer and Ph.D. candidate in music education at Oakland University. He teaches courses in music education, music technology, and music theory. His research interests include secondary general music, curriculum and policy, composing and improvising, and music technology. He has given professional presentations based on his research at conferences in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Daniel Roumain
1995Having carved a reputation for himself as an innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination.
Proving that he’s "about as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets" (New York Times), DBR recently collaborated and performed with Lady Gaga on FOX’s American Idol. His accolades range from being voted as "America’s Assignment" on the CBS Evening News, to receiving praise as one of the "Top 100 New Yorkers" (New York Resident), "Top 40 Under 40" business people (Crain’s New York Business), one of the entertainment industry’s "Top 5 Tomorrow’s Newsmakers" (1010 WINS Radio), and spotlighted as a "New Face of Classical Music" in Esquire Magazine.
DBR recently composed music for Daniel Beaty’s play Resurrection directed by Oz Scott, the feature ESPN television segment E:60 Homeless Basketball in which DBR was bestowed with a Sports EMMY nomination for Outstanding Musical Composition, and feature documentary films - Strange Things by Alexandria Hammond and Off and Running by Nicole Opper, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and is scheduled to air nationally on PBS’ award-winning series, P.O.V., in 2010. DBR regularly composes for orchestras and chamber music ensembles around the globe and tours with his genre-jumping ensemble DBR & THE MISSION.
A native of Margate, Florida, DBR studied music as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music where he currently serves as a visiting professor of composition, and completed his masters and doctoral work at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom.
