Meet Our Second Annual International Conducting Workshop Participants

Hailing from Korea, Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela, China, Canada, and the United States, meet the 12 participants of our Second Annual International Conducting Workshop, Concert and Competition. Led by DPO Music Director Lawrence Golan and guest faculty Gary Lewis, this array of veteran and up-and-coming conductors will spend a week of score study and programming classes, career development class, orchestra rehearsals and video reviews — all culminating in a final, live performance with the DPO orchestra at our World’s Fair concert. Plus, at the discretion of the faculty, one competition winner will be invited back to guest conduct a piece with the DPO next season!

Meet the six participants who will conduct a movement at World’s Fair on the main stage: Valery Saul, Yoona Jeong, Mariana Garciagodoy Cervantes, Sebastian Serrano-Ayala, Simón Zerpa, and Nicoletta Moss.

Valery Saul

Guest Conductor

Valery Saul is a conductor and opera singer from Portland, Oregon. She is currently pursuing her masters degree in Orchestral Conducting at Peabody Conservatory under the mentorship of Marin Alsop.

Yoona Jeong

Guest Conductor - Winner, 2022 DPO Workshop Competition!

Yoona is a conductor, violinist, and musicologist. After receiving her Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Texas at Austin, Yoona won First Prize at the Denver Philharmonic’s 2022…

Mariana Garciagodoy Cervantes

Guest Conductor

Mariana Garciagodoy is a Mexican conductor currently studying at Ecole Normale in Paris, France.

Sebastian Serrano-Ayala

Guest Conductor

Colombian conductor Sebastian is an active advocate for the music of today. He is passionate about bringing collaborative leadership, energy, and dynamism to the musical experience.

Simón Zerpa

Guest Conductor

Simón Zerpa is a charismatic conductor, originally from Venezuela. Simon’s musical passion ranges from the baroque jewels until the present, as he actively promotes current composers’ music.

Nicoletta Moss

Guest Conductor

Nicoletta is a Greek-American conductor currently working with the Greensboro Symphony. In 2021, she was awarded an honorable mention by The American Prize and made her Europe debut.

Conducting special pre-concert performances of Antonín Dvořák's Serenade for Strings, meet Zihan Zhou, Joshua Bullen, Stephen Bollinger, Feliza Estrada, Jack Reynerston, and Jack Buddenhagen.

Zihan Zhou

Guest Conductor

Chinese conductor Zihan Zhou was born in Beijing, 2001. He is titled the Music Director of the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra during 2022-2024. He was the assistant music director of…

Joshua Bullen

Guest Conductor

Joshua Bullen is a Canadian conductor and double bassist from Ottawa, Ontario. He is currently studying at the École Normale de Musique in Paris.

Stephen Bollinger

Guest Conductor

Stephen Bollinger is a Conductor, Educator, and Cellist from Grand Rapids Michigan who is currently obtaining a Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Central Michigan University.

Feliza Estrada

Guest Conductor

Powerful, thoughtful, and kind. Feliza Estrada is a polymath genius with an eye for color. She is beginning her journey into the world of conducting.

Jack Reynertson

Guest Conductor

Jack Reynertson is a Teacher, Conductor, and Performer who lives in Minnesota. He is committed to improving the lives of his students, ensembles, and audiences through powerful musical experiences.

Jack Buddenhagen

Guest Conductor

Jack Buddenhagen holds a master’s degree in conducting from the University of North Texas and has worked with orchestras including the Abilene Philharmonic and New York Chamber Orchestras