Ajay Patel, Chamber Orchestra Conductor & Symphony Orchestra Conductor A graduate of Arizona State University, Ajay Patel earned his undergraduate degree in music education and his master's degree in cello performance. Mr. Patel is currently the Director of Orchestras at Basha High School in the Chandler School District.  In addition, he previously taught at Mountain Pointe High School, in the Tempe School District for the three years. His orchestras have earned ratings of "superior" in American Band and Orchestra Director's Association (ABODA) festival events. In addition to teaching, Mr. Patel has a private studio of cello students and performs with the Mesa Symphony Orchestra and Musica Nova Orchestra in Scottsdale. He also functions as an adjudicator for ABODA. Ajay also coordinates the Performing Arts Summer Academy (PASA), a summer music program for Band Choir and Orchestra in the Chandler School District. Mr. Patel's wife is an accomplished violinist with a master's degree in violin performance. They live in Chandler with their daughter and son. He is very excited to work with both Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra again this year.
	VerRona Grandil, Concert Orchestra Conductor VerRona Grandil has been teaching private violin and viola lessons in the valley for the past 12 years. Until recently she served as Director of Orchestras at Taylor Jr. High in Mesa where her orchestras received superior ratings at local and state festivals four years in a row. As a young girl she was a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and studied privately under Dr. William Magers for over 10 years. She participated in regional and all-state orchestras four years in a row and attended Arizona State University on a full-ride music scholarship where she earned a bachelor's degree in music education and later a master's degree in viola performance. Grandil is the principal violist in the Symphony of the Southwest and substitutes with the Arizona Opera Orchestra as well as Musica Nova Orchestra. In addition, she is a member of the newly-formed modern Urban Quartet. She also freelances for various contractors throughout the valley. Mrs. Grandil currently resides in Gilbert with her husband and two daughters. She loves being a part of the East Valley Youth Symphony.
	Douglas Akey, Winds and Brass Specialist Douglas Akey began his musical training in the public schools of Elmhurst, Illinois. He attended Arizona State University on a performance scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music (1979) and a Master of Music in Solo Performance (1985). He also studied brass performance for two summers at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts in Alberta, Canada. He has studied horn with Carroll Simmons – Grant Park Orchestra (Chicago), William Strickland – free-lance hornist (New York), Ralph Lockwood – Arizona State University, and Roland Pandolfi – Principal Horn, St. Louis Symphony. Akey began teaching band at the middle level in Arizona in 1979. His bands have been invited to perform at numerous education conferences, including the 1992 Western Regional Middle Level Consortium, the 1994 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the 1997 American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the 1998 Music Educators National Conference, and ten annual In-Service Conferences of the Arizona Music Educators Association. He frequently serves as a clinician, having directed many honor bands throughout the country. He has also presented sessions at music conferences in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Ohio and Wyoming. Beginning in the fall of 2006, Douglas began a new phase in his career, teaching 5th and 6th grade band students. Since the publication of his first work in 1987, Douglas has gone on to become a respected composer of wind and percussion music. His works appear on dozens of state contest lists and are performed by bands throughout North America, Europe, Australia and the Far East. His most recent writing project is four years of audition etudes for the high school Regional/All-State system in Arizona. Douglas is an active performer, having played with the Del Sol Brass Quintet and Arizona Brass Quintet, as well as the Phoenix and Tucson Symphony Orchestras. He currently serves as both the principal horn and assistant conductor of the Tempe Symphony Orchestra.
	Rosanne Robson Tidwell, Bell Choir Conductor Rosanne Robson Tidwell has a history of inspiring the musical youth in Arizona in many different ways.  Some of her accomplishments include Taught piano and voice lessons since she was 18 years old. Directed many shows for Gilbert Fine Arts Association. Co-directed the children’s choir for the Broadway production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” which played at A.S.U.’s Grady Gammage. Directed the Mesa Arizona Temple Easter Pageant, the largest outdoor Easter Pageant in the world, for seven years. Conducted a children’s choir for a CD called “A Holly Jolly Christmas for Kids!” which is still on sale through Amazon.com.  Taught general music at EduPrize and New Vista Horizon’s Private School. Taught Musical Theater and youth Show Choirs for Gilbert Fine Arts Association and for Gilbert Public Schools.  This year’s production will make their 19th year of teaching this incredibly popular program. Attended Mesa Community College, Brigham Young University, and Arizona State University, where she studied Musical Theater and Education.  Through it all, Rosanne’s favorite thing, as well as her greatest talent, is working with and inspiring young people.  She is excited and anxiously awaiting her newest adventure of directing the Bell Choir for the East Valley Youth Symphony.    She resides in Gilbert, Arizona.  Her greatest love is her family; she is married to her best friend, Gill, and they have 4 beautiful children, four wonderful children-in-laws, and 8 and 3/4 grandchildren.