Orchester

The Chamber choir Musica Viva was established in 2006 gathering 30 singers from Tolmin and surrounding villages. The area is situated in the north-west region of Slovenija, very close to the Italian border, where one can feel the mixture of Slavic, Roman and German influence. The main mission of the choir is, due to its specific geographical position, its great care to preserve and promote Slovenian choir tradition, which is especially strong in this area. Songs and singing was used as a means of national identity and the proof of belonging to Slovenian culture. In its nineteen-year existance, the choir has gone through numerous concerts. It hasn’t neglected traditional elements of Slovenian folk musicand has also been promotioning modern, contemporary creativity. In 2008 and 2023 the choir got an award for a local thematically based concert named ″Sozvočenja″.

The choir was selected as the representative of Primorska region to perform on the final concert in Slovenian Philharmonic in 2013. It received the golden and silver awards on the regional competition in Postojna, golden award on international competition „Lege Artis“ in Tuzla and golden award on international competition „Slovakia cantat“ in Bratislava. It was also awarded with an award of Municipality of Tolmin. The last success was achieved in October 2024 in Herceg Novi, where the choir received a gold diploma and a special prize for the performance of a composition from the Renaissance period.

Since its creation, the choir conductor is Erika Bizjak. She finished Secondary Music and Ballet School in Ljubljana . She continued her education on the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana and on the Faculty of Arts. She works as a teacher at music and elementary schools. She already has experience in conducting choirs and she showed her devotion to choir singing young. In 2006 she, together with some enthusiasts, established the choir Musica Viva. She attends education seminars regularly, she also took a part in preparation of some music publications , she is active at Association of Public Culture Activities, where she participates as active performer of seminars for choir singers.

Colonel John R. Bourgeois was the 25th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. His acclaimed career spanned nine presidential administrations, from Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. Bourgeois is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans. He joined the Marine Corps in 1956 and entered “The President’s Own” as a French Hornist and arranger in 1958. Named Director of the Marine Band in 1979, Bourgeois was promoted to Colonel in June 1983. He retired from active duty July 11, 1996. As Director of “The President’s Own,” Bourgeois was Music Advisor to the White House and directed the band on its traditional place of honor in the U.S. Capitol for four Presidential inaugurations. He regularly conducted the Marine Band and the Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House. Under his leadership, the Marine Band presented its first overseas performances in history, traveling to the Netherlands in 1985. In 1990, he led the Marine Band on an historic 18-day concert tour of the former Soviet Union as part of the first U.S.-U.S.S.R. Armed Forces band exchange. He also directed the Marine Band on 16 nationwide tours. Bourgeois is past president of the American Bandmasters Association, chairman of the board and past president of the National Band Association, president of the John Philip Sousa Foundation, and the American vice president of the International Military Music Society. He has served on numerous boards of directors. Among the many honors and awards Bourgeois has received are the 1986 Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster Award and the 1987 Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service to Music Award for “contributions to the growth and development of modern college and university bands.” Bourgeois conducted his final concert as Director of “The President’s Own,” July 11, 1996 (the band’s 198th birthday). He was hailed “a national treasure”. Since retiring from the Marine Band, Bourgeois has been actively involved in music as a guest conductor, has published new editions of classic band compositions, and is a visiting professor in a chair endowed in his name at Loyola University in New Orleans.

Dr. Ocean Akaka is the incoming Assistant Director of Bands/Associate Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Nevada, beginning in Fall 2025. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Akaka recently finished his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Band Conducting at UNLV under the tutelage of Thomas G. Leslie. During his graduate studies, Dr. Akaka served as a Doctoral Graduate Assistant with the UNLV Division of Wind Band Studies, where his duties included managing the office and orchestra, teaching conducting lessons, and serving as a graduate conductor for the UNLV Wind Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, New Horizons Band, Community Concert Band, and Symphonic Windsand also served as a Graduate Assistant with the UNLV Star of Nevada Marching Band and the Runnin’ Rebel Basketball Pep Band. He is slaso a music arranger and transcriber and holds degrees from the University of Nevada and the University of Hawaii. Originally from Hawaii, Dr. Akaka is an in-demand educator and clinician with guest conducting appearances and oboe masterclasses at various venues throughout the islands and the continental United States. As an oboist, Akaka served as an Army Bandsman with “Hawaii’s Own” 111th Army Band based out of Pearl City. In addition to playing the oboe in the concert band, he played trumpet in the rock combo group “Drive On,” euphonium in the ceremonial marching band, and also served as a guest conductor of the concert band. Outside of his duties with the band, Akaka actively served with The Hawaiˋi Army National Guard’s Honor Guard team where he assisted with Military Funeral Honors as a ceremonial team member and live bugler. Akaka’s military decorations include : The Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and The Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal.

As Director of the Division of Wind Band Studies and Professor of Conducting, Thomas Leslie has earned recognition for high quality performances of the UNLV Bands. During his tenure at UNLV, his bands have received critical acclaim from members of the international music world. Such notables include composers Malcolm Arnold, Bruce Broughton, Eric Whitacre and Frank Ticheli; United States Marine Band Conductor Emeritus Colonel John Bourgeois, (Ret.); Colonel Lowell Graham, Conductor United States Air Force Band, (Ret.); United States Navy Band Conductor Commander John Pastin (Ret.); Dr. Harry Begian, Director Emeritus, University of Illinois; Grammy Award winning recording artists Eric Marienthal, Jimmy Haslip, Will Kennedy, Bernie Dresel, Mitchel Forman and Russell Ferrante. Recognized for a fresh, interpretative style among collegiate wind orchestras, Thomas Leslie and the UNLV Wind Orchestra continue to excel in their commitment to commission new works by the next generation of the world’s finest young composers. Professor Leslie has conducted and recorded twenty-one album recordings with the UNLV Wind Orchestra. All of these recordings have received noteworthy acclaim in professional review journals in addition to high praise from colleagues throughout the world and several have received nominations for Grammy Awards. As a high school band director, Leslie won numerous state and national championships. While teaching at UNLV starting in1985, Professor Leslie has been featured as an adjudicator and conductor throughout the United States and has been invited to conduct performances and clinics internationally in Australia, Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Canada. Under his direction, the UNLV Wind Orchestra was invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association Conference, the Music Educators National Conference Biennial Convention, the American Bandmasters Association National Convention, and numerous state music educator conferences, and abroad at the Hokkaido Band Association Clinic in Japan and in La Croix Valmer in 2005 and 2016. Professor Leslie was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award in 2006. Most recently, Maestro Leslie and the UNLV Wind Orchestra were awarded the American Prize for Best American Collegiate Wind Ensemble for the year 2020 as well as the Global Music Award Silver Medal for outstanding performance in 2023 for Joe’s Tango, the bands last recording. Thomas Leslie received degrees in Music Education from The University of Iowa and Indiana State University. Professor Leslie served office as the 75th President of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and currently serves as a member of the ABA Nominating Committee, the ABA Membership Committee and the ABA Past President’s Ad Hoc Committee. He continues to be a long-standing member of the College Band Directors National Association, and has served as Western Division Chair for the National Band Association. Professor Leslie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

Zane S. Douglass is the Associate Conductor of the UNLV Wind Orchestra and Visiting Instructor of Conducting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His duties at UNLV include teaching Graduate and Undergraduate Conducting; conducting the UNLV Brass Ensemble; co-conducting the UNLV Wind Orchestra and UNLV Community Band; and instructing the “Star of Nevada” Marching Band and the UNLV Basketball Pep Band. Prior to his appointment to UNLV, Dr. Douglass was Director of Bands and Low Brass at Montana State University; Conductor of Bands at McNeese State University; Director of the Snohomish High School Band Program in Snohomish, Washington; Instructor of Music at Central Washington University; and band teacher in both the Bozeman and Park City School Districts in Montana. He has transcribed and arranged numerous orchestral works for wind orchestra and chamber ensembles. His transcriptions have been performed regularly by University and High School bands, including being recorded by UNLV. Dr. Douglass earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a Masters of Music in conducting from Central Washington University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Montana State University-Bozeman. Dr. Douglass has presented clinics and performances throughout the United States. As a trombonist, he served as Principal Trombone with the Bozeman Symphony and the Montana Ballet Orchestra and the Intermountain Opera Orchestra.

Bernie Dresel has been one of the busiest studio and live musicians in the world as both a drummer and percussionist since moving to Los Angeles in 1983 after graduating from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He has traveled the world, occupying the coveted drum chair for Grammy Award-winning Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band since its inception in 1999. And also, for an overlapping 15 years (1992 to 2006), he was the drummer for the multi-Grammy Award-winning Brian Setzer Orchestra. Modern Drummer magazine’s readers’ poll named Bernie “Best Big Band Drummer” and Drum! Magazine has put him on their list of “53 Drummers Who Made a Difference in the ’90s” as well as honoring him with a Drummie® for Best Big Band Drummer. Bernie Dresel’ s jazz orchestra, The BBB, is without question one of Los Angeles’ most exciting large jazz ensembles.

The BBB provides a combination of intense swing and fiery soloing, as well as tight ensemble playing, powered by Bernie Dresel’s extraordinary drumming talents. The band gathers 16 pros on the Los Angeles studio scene and delivers a contemporary, highly original sound performing compositions of established and up-and-coming composers and arrangers. The band make-up is unique in that there is no piano but jazz/rockin’

electric guitar instead, in addition to four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, and upright acoustic slap bass and drums. Bernie Dresel is the first-call drummer and percussionist on the Hollywood stage for motion picture and television soundtracks. Established in 2014, with a live performance tribute to Buddy Rich, The BBB plays monthly at jazz clubs in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Prior to forming his own jazz orchestra, Bernie backed Maynard Ferguson, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Bernie served 15 years for both Setzer and Goodwin. He has been the drummer on numerous Brian Setzer Grammy Award®-winning recordings and more recently on every recording that Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band has released, including the Grammy Award-winners.