Duilio Dobrin

Duilio Dobrin (born in Buenos Aires), is an American conductor and pianist of Argentine origin. As conductor for the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra Dobrin earned high praise for his stellar performances, ranked as among the very best in its history. On 1 May 2013, he won the 2013 Downbeat Award for best classical performance.

Dobrin studied at the National Conservatory of Argentina and was then a student of Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood, Sergiu Celibidache in Munich, and Otto-Werner Mueller at Yale University. From Ball State University he received the degree of Doctor of Arts and Master of Music with dissertation about Austrian conductor Erich Kleiber.

At the International Conducting Competition in 1988 in Tokyo, he was the only American to reach the finals of the competition. In Lugano 1991, he was among the winners. He was the music director for the Chamber Orchestra of Connecticut, and from 1992 to 2000 the resident conductor of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he founded the series of events LatinPops. He has also served as a guest conductor in New York, Munich, Tokyo, Lugano, Montreal, and Buenos Aires.

After working as an assistant to Karl Richter at the Teatro Colón he began to conduct operas and oratorios. He also conducted performances of the operas Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Gianni Schicchi, The Elixir of Love (as on Broadway), The Fiddler on the Roof, and Salute to Harold Prince (with Elaine Stritch, Theodore Bikel, Debbie Shapiro, Kevin Gray, and Harold Prince himself).

In 2000 he was honored by Pope John Paul II for his contribution to liturgical music. In 2002 Dobrin started teaching at the University of Oklahoma and directed its symphony orchestra. In 2008 he was hired at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, teaching Comprehensive Musicianship, Latin Ensemble, Jazz Piano, and AP (Advanced Placement) Music Theory. His Latin American Ensemble has won the Downbeat award two years running in 2010 and 2009.