Thomas E. Verrier is Director of Wind Studies and Associate
Professor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He serves
as Conductor of the Vanderbilt Wind Ensembles and Artistic Director of the
Vanderbilt Music Acadèmie in Aix-en-Provence, France. His teaching duties
include undergraduate and graduate level courses in conducting, pedagogy,
and education. In addition, Dr. Verrier is the Program Director of the Sistema
Nacional de Educación Musical Instituto de Desarrollo Musical in San Jose,
Costa Rica and Founding Director of the Conductors Lab® (a joint project
with members of the Berlin Philharmonic). Over the past decade, Dr. Verrier’
s passion for “organic creativity” and collaborative arts prompted him to
study acting techniques with director John Strasberg in New York and led to
the founding of the Collaboration through Arts and Music Project,(CAMP), an
initiative dedicated to bringing creative people together to do creative things.
Dr. Verrier is an active conductor and clinician recognized both for his artistic
approach as well as his pedagogical knowledge. He has received critical
acclaim from composers including Chen Qian, Chen Yi, Richard Danielpour,
Michael Daugherty, Claudio Gabriele, Karel Husa, Steven Mackey, David
Maslanka, Leanna Primiani, Luis Serrano-Alarcon, Joseph Schwantner,
Frank Ticheli, Michael Torke, Joan Tower, Joseph Turrin, Andres Valero-
Castells, and Simon Yau, and for his interpretive conducting of their works.
Professor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. He serves
as Conductor of the Vanderbilt Wind Ensembles and Artistic Director of the
Vanderbilt Music Acadèmie in Aix-en-Provence, France. His teaching duties
include undergraduate and graduate level courses in conducting, pedagogy,
and education. In addition, Dr. Verrier is the Program Director of the Sistema
Nacional de Educación Musical Instituto de Desarrollo Musical in San Jose,
Costa Rica and Founding Director of the Conductors Lab® (a joint project
with members of the Berlin Philharmonic). Over the past decade, Dr. Verrier’
s passion for “organic creativity” and collaborative arts prompted him to
study acting techniques with director John Strasberg in New York and led to
the founding of the Collaboration through Arts and Music Project,(CAMP), an
initiative dedicated to bringing creative people together to do creative things.
Dr. Verrier is an active conductor and clinician recognized both for his artistic
approach as well as his pedagogical knowledge. He has received critical
acclaim from composers including Chen Qian, Chen Yi, Richard Danielpour,
Michael Daugherty, Claudio Gabriele, Karel Husa, Steven Mackey, David
Maslanka, Leanna Primiani, Luis Serrano-Alarcon, Joseph Schwantner,
Frank Ticheli, Michael Torke, Joan Tower, Joseph Turrin, Andres Valero-
Castells, and Simon Yau, and for his interpretive conducting of their works.
BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC - VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY - 2400 Blakemore Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee USA 37212
(615) 322-7651 -
(615) 322-7651 -
Verrier with Yo Yo Ma in
Nashville
Nashville
Kenneth Tse, Saxophone soloist
Thomas Verrier backstage
with Richard Danielpour
with Richard Danielpour
with Composer
Claudio Gabriele
in Aix-en-
Provence, France
Claudio Gabriele
in Aix-en-
Provence, France
Verrier backstage with Joseph
Schwantner
Schwantner
Visiting composer,
Leanna Primiani
Leanna Primiani
Hsin Hsiao-hung,
Erhu soloist
Erhu soloist
Composer Michael Daugherty
and clarinetist Helen
Goode-Castro
and clarinetist Helen
Goode-Castro
Verrier conducts the Military Band of the
Peoples' Liberation Army in Beijing, China
Peoples' Liberation Army in Beijing, China
SiNEM Workshop
Percussion soloist Ronald Chin,
composer CHEN Qian, guest conductor
Joseph Cheung, with choreographer
Jen Jen Lin
composer CHEN Qian, guest conductor
Joseph Cheung, with choreographer
Jen Jen Lin
All-China Competition of Symphonic Bands in Shanghai
Verrier conducts the Hong Kong Wind Ensemble with soloists
Chris Moyse and Ben Pelletier
Chris Moyse and Ben Pelletier
| THE VANDERBILT WIND SYMPHONY |
| THE VANDERBILT WIND SYMPHONY |
Thomas E. Verrier, Music Director
BLAIR SCHOOL OF MUSIC
US Premiere: CHEN Qian's Snow Lotus
The Vanderbilt Wind Symphony is the premiere
wind performing ensemble at Vanderbilt University and includes the
most outstanding woodwind, brass, harp, and percussion students
in the School of Music.
At the Blair School of Music, a rotating menu of projects provides
wind performing ensemble at Vanderbilt University and includes the
most outstanding woodwind, brass, harp, and percussion students
in the School of Music.
At the Blair School of Music, a rotating menu of projects provides
, String Orchestra, and Opera Orchestra, along with the
Oratorio Orchestra, Cinema Orchestra, Chamber Winds and Contemporary
Ensembles are all under one "instrumental ensemble" course, which is team-
taught and has a single syllabus and set of grading criteria.
The true core of the Blair instrumental ensemble experience is the chamber music
program. All students participate in chamber groups, which rehearse regularly in
the hour preceding the conducted ensembles. This approach reflects our
philosophy that great ensemble musicianship is inherently collaborative.
Oratorio Orchestra, Cinema Orchestra, Chamber Winds and Contemporary
Ensembles are all under one "instrumental ensemble" course, which is team-
taught and has a single syllabus and set of grading criteria.
The true core of the Blair instrumental ensemble experience is the chamber music
program. All students participate in chamber groups, which rehearse regularly in
the hour preceding the conducted ensembles. This approach reflects our
philosophy that great ensemble musicianship is inherently collaborative.
students with a range of
experiences within each
semester. Wind Symphony,
Wind Ensemble, Orchestra
experiences within each
semester. Wind Symphony,
Wind Ensemble, Orchestra
The Wind Symphony
The Wind Ensemble and Blair Chorale
Rehearsal in Ingram Hall
Project with members of the Berlin Philharmonic
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet join
the Blair family as Artists-in-Residence
the Blair family as Artists-in-Residence
Dr. Verrier has accepted invitations to conduct throughout the
Americas, Asia, and Europe. He has conducted performances at
conferences of the Congreso Iberoamericano de Directores,
Compositores, Arregladores e Instrumentistas de Bandas
Sinfónicas, the International Society for Music Education (Tenerife,
Canary Islands), the Asian Pacific Band Directors Association
(Macau and Hong Kong), the Hong Kong International Band Fair,
the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and the
North American Saxophone Alliance. Dr. Verrier has been a guest
conductor with the Military Band of the Peoples’ Liberation Army
(Beijing, China), the Municipal Band of Albacete (Spain), the Hong
Kong Neo Winds Orchestra, and La Banda de la Unión Musical
Utielana (Valencia, Spain), and is the Artistic Advisor of the Hong
Kong Wind Ensemble. While on leave from Vanderbilt in 2008,
Dr. Verrier accepted a position as Visiting Scholar at the
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou China.
During his semester abroad, he guest conducted numerous
Chinese ensembles from Beijing to Hong Kong and also served on
the panel of judges for the All-China Competition of Symphonic
Bands in Shanghai.
Dr. Verrier is an active member of the College Band Directors
National Association; he is the organization’s National Executive
Secretary and a member of the organization’s Executive Board.
Americas, Asia, and Europe. He has conducted performances at
conferences of the Congreso Iberoamericano de Directores,
Compositores, Arregladores e Instrumentistas de Bandas
Sinfónicas, the International Society for Music Education (Tenerife,
Canary Islands), the Asian Pacific Band Directors Association
(Macau and Hong Kong), the Hong Kong International Band Fair,
the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and the
North American Saxophone Alliance. Dr. Verrier has been a guest
conductor with the Military Band of the Peoples’ Liberation Army
(Beijing, China), the Municipal Band of Albacete (Spain), the Hong
Kong Neo Winds Orchestra, and La Banda de la Unión Musical
Utielana (Valencia, Spain), and is the Artistic Advisor of the Hong
Kong Wind Ensemble. While on leave from Vanderbilt in 2008,
Dr. Verrier accepted a position as Visiting Scholar at the
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou China.
During his semester abroad, he guest conducted numerous
Chinese ensembles from Beijing to Hong Kong and also served on
the panel of judges for the All-China Competition of Symphonic
Bands in Shanghai.
Dr. Verrier is an active member of the College Band Directors
National Association; he is the organization’s National Executive
Secretary and a member of the organization’s Executive Board.
With Karel Husa rehearsing Music for Prague 1968