Frank Battisti composer / arranger

Frank L. Battisti is Conductor Emeritus of the New

England Conservatory Wind Ensemble. He founded

and conducted the ensemble for 30 years (1969-99). Toda

y the NEC Wind Ensemble is recognized as one

of the premiere ensembles of its kind in the United

States and throughout the

world. It’s performances

and recordings for Centaur, Albany and Golden Cr

est records have earned high critical praise and

accolades. Performances by the NEC Wind Ensemble

have been broadcast over National Public Radio

(NPR) and other classical music radio stations thro

ughout the United States and world . Battisti was

Principal Guest Conductor of the Longy School of

Music Chamber Winds, Cambridge, MA from 2000 –

2008 and founder and Music Director of the Tanglewood

Institute’s Young Artists Wind Ensemble from

2000 - 2004. In 2005 he became the ensemble’s Conductor Emeritus.

Dr.Battisti is responsible for commissioning and premiering over 60 works for wind ensemble by

distinguished American and world composers includ

ing Warren Benson, Leslie Bassett, Robert Ceely,

John Harbison, Robin Holloway, Wi

told Lutoslawski, William Thomas

McKinley, Vincent Persichetti,

Michael Colgrass, Daniel Pinkham, Gunther Schuller,

Robert Selig, Ivan Tcheripnin, Sir Michael Tippett,

William Kraft, Robert Ward and Alec Wilder. Critic

s, composers and colleagues have praised Battisti for

his commitment to contemporary music and his outstanding performances.

Battisti has conducted numerous university, co

llege, military, professional and high school

bands/wind ensembles and served as a visiting teache

r/clinician throughout the United States, England,

Europe, Middle East, Africa, Scandinavia, Australi

a, China, Taiwan, Canada, South America, South

Korea, Iceland and the former U.S.S.R.

Past President of the U.S. College Band Director

s National Association (CBDNA), Battisti is also

a member of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) and founder of the National Wind Ensemble

Conference, World Association of Symphonic Band

s and Ensembles (WASBE), Massachusetts Youth

Wind Ensemble (MYWE) and New England College Ba

nd Association (NECBA). He has served on the

FRANK L. BATTISTI

Standard Award Panel of American Society for Co

mposers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the

National Foundation for Advancem

ent of the Arts Recognition and Talent Search Panel (ARTS).

Battisti has authored seven books including Winds of Change and Winds of Change II, On Being a

Conductor and The Best We Can Be, the story of his

Ithaca (NY) High School Band, and is considered

one of the world’s foremost authorities on wind musi

c literature. He has written many articles on wind

ensemble/band literature, conducting and music educ

ation for national and international professional

journals and magazines (The Instrumentalist, WASBE

Journal, WINDS, MENC Music Journal, etc.). He

has also served as editor for various music publishing

companies and is currently a consulting editor for

The Instrumentalist magazine.

In 1986 and 1993, Dr. Battisti was a visiting fellow at

Clare Hall, Cambridge University, England. He has

received many awards and honors including Honorary

Doctor of Music degrees from Ithaca College in

1992, Rhode Island College in 2010, New England Cons

ervatory of Music in 2012; the Ithaca College

Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Awar

d in 2003, New England Conservatory Alumni

Association Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2008; th

e first Louis and Adrienne Krasner Excellence in

Teaching Award from the New England Conservatory

of Music in 1997, the Lowell Mason Award from

the Massachusetts Music Educators Association in

1998, the New England College Band Association’s

Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, Midwest Intern

ational Band and Orchestra Clinic’s Medal of

Honor in 2001 and the National Band Associatio

n’s AWAPA in 2006. He is a member of CBDNA

(President 1979-81) and the ABA.

In June 2001 Ithaca (NY) High School presented the

first “Frank L. Battisti Instrumental Music Award.”

This award is presented annually to an Ithaca High

School Band member “possessing high musicianship,

a desire for excellence, creativity and enthusiasm.” Dr

. Battisti graduated from Ithaca High School in 1949

and was its Director of Bands from 1955 – 67. Under hi

s leadership the band established a reputation for

being one of the best and most unique in the Unit

ed States. Among its notable achievements was the

commissioning and premiering of a series of 24 works by important American composers including

Vincent Persichetti, Leslie Basset, Gunthe

r Schuller, Karel Husa and Warren Benson.

Since 2009, Ithaca’s Boynton Middle School Band ha

s also presented two annual Frank L. Battisti

Conducting Awards to students selected from its membership.

Officially retired, Battisti maintains a very active gues

t conducting, teaching and writing career. He lives in

Leverett, Massachusetts with Charlotte, his wife of over 57 years.