BRAVISSIMO FACULTY
Summer Intensive
Dr. Roby G. George, Associate Professor of Music and Conducting, was appointed Director of Bands at Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2023. George holds the Bachelor of Music Education and Masters of Music Education degrees from Florida State University and the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Before arriving at Palm Beach Atlantic, George served as director of bands at Fisk University, the University of Dayton, Florida International University, Indiana State University, and was associate director of bands at the University of Illinois. He was the founding director of bands at the New World School of the Arts in Miami and worked at the prestigious Boston Latin High School. George has conducted wind ensembles and orchestras nationally and intemationally at all levels, including performances at such venues as Carnegie Hall and Symphony Center in Chicago. Much of his history as an educator has been spent building and developing wind programs and voung wind conductors. He is currently working on a conducting book that will focus on the effectiveness of the gesture, using video representation and analysis of
conductors. both orchestral and wind. Durino his tenure at Florida International Universitv. seorde neic an annuawne conducong symposium mar arraced parcioants from all over the Americas and Canada. He is frequently invited to judge festivals, conduct all-state ensembles, perform masterclasses and lecture on the art of expressive and artistic performance from the podium.
Veselin Bozhilov is a winner of seven national and two international competitions, as well as a graduate of Lynn University (MM) and Sofia National Music Academy (BM). His teachers include Marc Reese, Jeffrey Kaye, Edward Carroll, Gabriele Cassone, David Shaner, Atanas Dulgerov, and Pencho Penchev.
After joining the Sofia Philharmonic and Sofia Philharmonic Brass at the age of 20, Mr. Bozhilov has performed numerous concerts in some of the most prestigious halls in Spain, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Nederland, Macedonia, Bosnia, etc. Mr. Bozhilov’s performance engagements include the Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia, Miami Symphony, Punta Gorda Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Teatro Lirico D’ Europa, Sarajevo Philharmonic, Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, Bulgarian Festival Orchestra, New Symphony Orchestra, Plovdiv Philharmonic as well as numerous recordings at the Bulgarian National Radio for variety of movie productions and commercials. Veselin is also a member of Symphony of the Americas, where he has served as a trumpet player and soloist for over 10 years. Mr. Bozhilov has appeared several times as a soloist at some of the most prestigious halls throughout Europe and the United States.
Veselin Bozhilov is on the advisory board of the World Trumpet Society. He has performed with some of the most renowned trumpet players, such as Michael Sachs (Cleveland Orchestra), Tom Hooten (LA Philharmonic), Craig Morris (Chicago Symphony), Jose Sibaja (Boston Brass), Marc Reese (Empire Brass), and many others.
As an educator, Mr. Bozhilov is an artist in residence at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Bak Middle School of the Arts, Palm Beach Youth Orchestra, Spanish River High School, Olympic Heights, Don Estridge, Omni Middle School in Boca Raton; his prior teaching experience includes Lynn University Preparatory School and Colorado State University (nonmajors). Veselin Bozhilov has the largest private trumpet studio in South Florida. His students lead Palm Beach All County and Florida All-State bands every year since 2005 and attend the most prestigious summer programs such as Interlochen, Tanglewood, Chosen Vale, Eastern, among others. Students of Mr. Bozhilov are semi-finalists and finalists at the National Trumpet Competition.
Veselin is preparing students for Bak Middle and Dreyfoos School of the Arts, American Heritage, and many others. His students attend some of the finest Universities such as Yale, Stanford, Julliard, Brown, Rice, Duke, McGill, Boston University, Vanderbilt University, University of Southern California, University of Miami, University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Maryland, Michigan State University, University of Central Florida etc.
Karen Fuller, flutist, has been a working musician and teacher in South Florida for over 35 years. She is currently Principal Flute of the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, Miami City Ballet’s Opus One Orchestra, The Symphonia Boca Raton, Orchestra Miami, and is also a member of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. In 1992, she co-founded the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival with several Palm Beach Opera colleagues,appearing on all six of the Festival’s Chamber Music Palm Beach CDs on the Klavier Music Productions label and performing hundreds of concerts for more than 30 years. Ms. Fuller also served as Principal Flute of the Palm Beach Symphony for 23 years, appearing as concerto soloist multiple times. In addition, she performed frequently with Ballet Florida, the Concert Association of Florida and the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for over 15 years and was a member of the Naples Philharmonic for 10 years. She has also performed with Florida Grand Opera and the Sarasota Orchestra, as well as the Munich Symphony, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, New York City Opera, American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Ballet on their US tours. As a fellow with the New World Symphony, she was featured as a concerto soloist and toured South America and Europe, performing at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and the grand opening of the Bastille Opera House in Paris among other important venues. Ms. Fuller began her undergraduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, then completed her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Flute Performance at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She is a past 1st prize winner of the New York Flute Club Competition. She also attended Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she was an Associate Instructor of Flute while pursuing a doctoral degree before moving to Miami to join the New World Symphony. She currently serves as Instructor of Flute at Palm Beach Atlantic University and is a Palm Beach County Schools Artist-in-Residence at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Bak Middle School of the Arts and Spanish River High School.
Karen Fuller – Flute
Michael Forte – Clarinet
Laura Winters – Bassoon
Veselin Bozhilov – Trumpet
Dr. Michael O’Connor – Euphonium/Trombone
Audrey Destito-Stutt – French Horn
Calvin Jenkins – Tuba
Seth Wexler – Percussion