Frank Battisti Komponist / Arrangeur

Frank L. Battisti is Conductor Emeritus of the New
England Conservatory Wind Ensemble. He founded
and conducted the ensemble for 30 years (1969-99). Toda
y the NEC Wind Ensemble is recognized as one
of the premiere ensembles of its kind in the United
States and throughout the
world. It’s performances
and recordings for Centaur, Albany and Golden Cr
est records have earned high critical praise and
accolades. Performances by the NEC Wind Ensemble
have been broadcast over National Public Radio
(NPR) and other classical music radio stations thro
ughout the United States and world . Battisti was
Principal Guest Conductor of the Longy School of
Music Chamber Winds, Cambridge, MA from 2000 –
2008 and founder and Music Director of the Tanglewood
Institute’s Young Artists Wind Ensemble from
2000 - 2004. In 2005 he became the ensemble’s Conductor Emeritus.
Dr.Battisti is responsible for commissioning and premiering over 60 works for wind ensemble by
distinguished American and world composers includ
ing Warren Benson, Leslie Bassett, Robert Ceely,
John Harbison, Robin Holloway, Wi
told Lutoslawski, William Thomas
McKinley, Vincent Persichetti,
Michael Colgrass, Daniel Pinkham, Gunther Schuller,
Robert Selig, Ivan Tcheripnin, Sir Michael Tippett,
William Kraft, Robert Ward and Alec Wilder. Critic
s, composers and colleagues have praised Battisti for
his commitment to contemporary music and his outstanding performances.
Battisti has conducted numerous university, co
llege, military, professional and high school
bands/wind ensembles and served as a visiting teache
r/clinician throughout the United States, England,
Europe, Middle East, Africa, Scandinavia, Australi
a, China, Taiwan, Canada, South America, South
Korea, Iceland and the former U.S.S.R.
Past President of the U.S. College Band Director
s National Association (CBDNA), Battisti is also
a member of the American Bandmasters Association (ABA) and founder of the National Wind Ensemble
Conference, World Association of Symphonic Band
s and Ensembles (WASBE), Massachusetts Youth
Wind Ensemble (MYWE) and New England College Ba
nd Association (NECBA). He has served on the
FRANK L. BATTISTI
Standard Award Panel of American Society for Co
mposers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the
National Foundation for Advancem
ent of the Arts Recognition and Talent Search Panel (ARTS).
Battisti has authored seven books including Winds of Change and Winds of Change II, On Being a
Conductor and The Best We Can Be, the story of his
Ithaca (NY) High School Band, and is considered
one of the world’s foremost authorities on wind musi
c literature. He has written many articles on wind
ensemble/band literature, conducting and music educ
ation for national and international professional
journals and magazines (The Instrumentalist, WASBE
Journal, WINDS, MENC Music Journal, etc.). He
has also served as editor for various music publishing
companies and is currently a consulting editor for
The Instrumentalist magazine.
In 1986 and 1993, Dr. Battisti was a visiting fellow at
Clare Hall, Cambridge University, England. He has
received many awards and honors including Honorary
Doctor of Music degrees from Ithaca College in
1992, Rhode Island College in 2010, New England Cons
ervatory of Music in 2012; the Ithaca College
Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Awar
d in 2003, New England Conservatory Alumni
Association Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2008; th
e first Louis and Adrienne Krasner Excellence in
Teaching Award from the New England Conservatory
of Music in 1997, the Lowell Mason Award from
the Massachusetts Music Educators Association in
1998, the New England College Band Association’s
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, Midwest Intern
ational Band and Orchestra Clinic’s Medal of
Honor in 2001 and the National Band Associatio
n’s AWAPA in 2006. He is a member of CBDNA
(President 1979-81) and the ABA.
In June 2001 Ithaca (NY) High School presented the
first “Frank L. Battisti Instrumental Music Award.”
This award is presented annually to an Ithaca High
School Band member “possessing high musicianship,
a desire for excellence, creativity and enthusiasm.” Dr
. Battisti graduated from Ithaca High School in 1949
and was its Director of Bands from 1955 – 67. Under hi
s leadership the band established a reputation for
being one of the best and most unique in the Unit
ed States. Among its notable achievements was the
commissioning and premiering of a series of 24 works by important American composers including
Vincent Persichetti, Leslie Basset, Gunthe
r Schuller, Karel Husa and Warren Benson.
Since 2009, Ithaca’s Boynton Middle School Band ha
s also presented two annual Frank L. Battisti
Conducting Awards to students selected from its membership.
Officially retired, Battisti maintains a very active gues
t conducting, teaching and writing career. He lives in
Leverett, Massachusetts with Charlotte, his wife of over 57 years.