Christian Baldini, composer and conductor, was born in Argentina in 1978, and has resided in the US since 2003. His compositions have been presented in four continents, commissioned by and performed by numerous orchestras and ensembles including the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (US), Southbank Sinfonia (London), Orchestre National de Lorraine (France), New York New Music Ensemble, Chronophonie Ensemble (Freiburg), International Ensemble Modern Academy (Frankfurt), Daegu Chamber Orchestra (South Korea) and the Israel Contemporary Players. He was a featured composer at the Ginastera Festival in London (2006) and at the Acanthes Festival in Metz, France (2008). As a conductor he has worked with many orchestras and ensembles internationally, and has also been active in the opera field, most recently conducting Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. Among others, he has collaborated with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Aldeburgh Festival (England), National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC), and the Plural Ensemble (Spain). He was educated at the State University of New York at Buffalo (Ph.D. in composition), as well as the Pennsylvania State University (Master's in conducting), following up initial studies at the Catholic University of Argentina (B.Mus). His mentors and teachers have included Martyn Brabbins, Leonard Slatkin, David Felder, Marta Lambertini, Julio Viera, Gerardo Edelstein, Guillermo Scarabino and Sian Edwards. In addition, he has participated in masterclasses with Brian Ferneyhough, Peter Eötvös, Michele Reverdy and Salvatore Sciarrino. Currently, Baldini is a Professor of Music at the University of California, Davis. He serves as the artistic director and principal conductor of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra. Forthcoming projects include a CD conducting the English Chamber Orchestra, to be released on the Chandos Label. For more information, visit www.christianbaldini.info