DR. DOMINIC TALANCA

Conductor, Wilmington Symphony Pops Orchestra

Dr. Dominic Talanca is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Bands at the University of Central Arkansas, where he oversees the UCA Bands program, conducts the Wind Ensemble, and teaches undergraduate conducting courses and graduate conducting lessons and wind literature. Prior to arriving in Arkansas, Dr. Talanca held a similar position for eight years at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In addition to his responsibilities with the Wilmington Symphony Pops Orchestra, Talanca was artistic director of the Wilmington Symphonic Winds—an ensemble that performed twice at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference—and enjoyed engagements in Wilmington as conductor of Southern Harmonie, the OLLI New Horizons Band, and productions with Opera House Theatre Company and Wilmington Voices.

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from Northwestern University, studying with Mallory Thompson, and his Bachelor of Music Education & Master of Music in Wind Conducting degrees from the University of North Texas, studying with Eugene Migliaro Corporon. Prior to his graduate studies, Dr. Talanca taught middle school and high school for ten years in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, during which time the student musicians were recognized for their performances in concert and marching activities - earning numerous placements in the All-Region and All-State ensembles as well as 4 consecutive biannual Texas 5A State Marching Championship Awards. 

Dr. Talanca is co-author of Musical Mastery, a prominent beginning band method used in over 400 schools in 150 school districts and adopted by several universities for methods classes, impacting over 100,000 students internationally. He is a three-time contributor to the GIA Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, has published articles in several state music journals and the WASBE Journal, and is a multiple-time presenter at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago as well as multiple state music education conventions.

Dr. Talanca has guest conducted numerous ensembles, including a week-long residency with the Banda de Conciertos de San José in Costa Rica, and dozens of honor bands across the US and internationally (AMIS HS European Honor Band, Germany). Talanca looks forward to returning to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute to work with the students in the Young Artists Wind Ensemble this summer.

Education
D.M.A., Wind Conducting, 
Northwestern University, 
Evanston, IL

M.M., Wind Conducting,
The University of North Texas,
Denton, TX

B.M., Music Education, 
The University of North Texas,
Denton, TX