Instrumental Conductor

Giovanni Santos
University of Redlands

Giovanni Santos serves as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Redlands (CA). Under his direction, his ensembles have achieved national and international acclaim, performing across the United States, making their Carnegie Hall debut, and touring the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino. Dr. Santos’ ensembles have also spearheaded numerous collaborations, leading to more than 15 world and regional premieres of new works for wind ensemble.

A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI-B), he integrates these values into both his compositions and educational work. His first symphony, Dolores, AmeriCan: Symphony for Band, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Music by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

In recognition of his artistic contributions, Dr. Santos received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Minority Band Directors National Association for “exceptional contributions to the wind band repertoire with outstanding artistry and achievement.” His music has been performed around the world, with recent highlights at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, as well as by institutions including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Illinois, University of Texas, Florida State University, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Southern California.

Dr. Santos holds a Ph.D. in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California.

Choral Conductor

Robert Istad
California State University, Fullerton

Robert Istad is a GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times). Appointed Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director in 2017, Istad has continued to expand the chorus’s reputation for excellence through fresh interpretations of masterworks, newly commissioned works, and innovative artistic collaborations.

His newest project, the choral-theatrical concert film To the Hands, premiered as an official selection of the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival and is scheduled for commercial release in early 2026. In 2023, he led Pacific Chorale’s first international tour in seven years, conducting performances throughout Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Istad’s artistic work can be heard on several recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale, including the 2022 GRAMMY® Award-winning recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon. He also prepared Pacific Chorale for Pacific Symphony’s recording of Sir James MacMillan’s Fiat Lux and conducted the ensemble’s recording of All Things Common: The Music of Tarik O’Regan.

In addition to collaborations with Pacific Symphony and Berkshire Choral International, Istad has conducted ensembles including Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Bach Collegium San Diego, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Bath Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and Freies Landesorchester Bayern. He has also prepared choruses for many internationally renowned conductors, including Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, Marin Alsop, and Sir Andrew Davis.

An esteemed educator, Istad serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he was named CSUF’s Outstanding Professor of the Year in 2016. He conducts the University Singers, leads a graduate conducting program, and remains highly sought after as a guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.