Damon Talley, USA - Primary Clinician and Coordinator

Damon Talley also made a guest appearance at the Mid EUROPE masterclass in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he will coordinate the course and be actively involved as the “Primary Clinician”. Damon Talley is Band Director and Professor of Conducting at the Louisiana State University School of Music (USA) where, in addition to teaching, he also conducts the wind orchestra and is head of the Orchestra Division. Prior to Louisiana State University, Dr. Talley held the position of Band Director at the Shenandoah Conservatory, where he led the wind-orchestra program, the EDGE New Music Ensemble, and was in charge of training conductors. He has also taught at the University of Texas in Austin and the University of Michigan. As an enthusiastic promoter of new music for wind orchestra, Dr. Talley has conducted numerous first performances. His most important conducting instructors include Jerry Junkin, Michael Haithcock and H. Robert Reynolds.

Jean-Claude Braun, LUX - guest clinician

Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Claude Braun comes from a family of musicians, his father was a clarinettist in the Grand Ducal Military Band of Luxembourg and his mother was the assistant director of the Conservatory of Esch-sur-Alzette (L). At the age of 17 he was already solo horn player in the Grand Ducal Military Band and at 22 he completed his studies at the "Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles" with a "Diplôme supérieur". In addition to his career as a horn player in national and international orchestras, he took over the direction of the horn class at the conservatory of Esch-sur-Alzette (L) as a lecturer in 1997.

In 2004 he was accepted into the renowned conducting class for symphony orchestras of the well-known conductor and professor Jan Stulen at the University of Music in Maastricht (NL). After successfully completing his Bachelor's degree in 2007, he moved to the "Lemmensinstitut" in Leuven (B) in the class of Professor Edmond Saveniers, where he was awarded a Master's degree in 2009.

Since 1 August 2012, Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Claude Braun has been Chief Conductor of the Grand Ducal Military Orchestra of Luxembourg. Together with the 60-strong professional orchestra, he performs around 50 concerts a year. In addition to a whole series of CD recordings for Hal Leonard, Amstel Music, Baton Music and Bronsheim, he has also worked with world-famous musicians such as: Peng Peng Gong (piano), Prof Jo Alessi, Prof Armin Rosin and Prof Jacques Mauger, Tommy Verschoore (trombone), Glenn van Looy and Philippe Schwartz (euphonium), Prof Eric Aubier and Prof Marc Geujon (trumpet). Marc Geujon (trumpet), Johan de Meij, Ferrer Ferran, Marco Pütz, Peter Kleine Schaars, Otto M. Schwarz, Vladimir Cosma, Mario Bürki, Bert Appermont (composer and conductor), the conductors Norbert Nozy and Toni Scholl and many others.

H. Robert Reynolds, USA - guest clinician

H. Robert Reynolds has proven his talent as a conductor in the world's most renowned concert halls - for composers such as Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom, Aaron Copland, John Corigliano and many others, Robert Reynolds interprets their compositions to perfection.

Robert Reynolds is known by many as Director of University Bands, Chairman of the Conducting Department, Director of the Instrumental Studies, and Arthur Thurnau Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, where he worked until 2001. Following his Michigan tenure, he became the Principal Wind Ensemble Conductor and Professor of Wind Conducting at the University of Southern California for nearly 20 years. In addition to these responsibilities, he was, for nearly 40 years, the conductor of the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, which is made up primarily of members from the Detroit Symphony.

In 2019, Robert Reynolds was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, and in 2010 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Duquesne University. In addition, he holds degrees in Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan where he was the conducting student of Elizabeth Green. He received the Citation of Merit from the Music Alumni Association of the University of Michigan for his contributions to the many students he has influenced during his career and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Band Alumni Association. He is also an Honorary Life Member of the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association. This is just a small selection of his awards, reflecting the excellent work of Robert Reynolds.