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John J. Palatucci

John Palatucci enjoys a career as a performing musician, conductor, clinician, an adjudicator and educator. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education and a Master of Arts degree in music performance from Montclair State College of New Jersey where he studied euphonium and trombone with Ward Moore, John Elwood Williams and Don Butterfield.

In 1983, Mr. Palatucci made his New York City solo debut with the Mark Heter Brass Band. He became the euphonium soloist of the famous Goldman Memorial Band in 1986, that season making his Lincoln Center solo debut with this ensemble (from 2000 through 2005, Mr. Palatucci also served as the GMB's business manager). Included among his other solo engagements are the Hartford Symphony, the Ridgewood Concert Band, the Missouri Brass Consortium, the American Chamber Orchestra, the Garden State Symphonic Band and the Montclair Citadel Band of the Salvation Army. He has toured as principal euphonium with Keith Brion's New Sousa Band and in 1992 performed at the Sousa Centennial playing The Voice Of The Departing Soul, a work for solo euphonium and band which was the first piece ever played by the Sousa Band. In the summer of 2003, he toured the French Riviera as a featured soloist with the Ridgewood Concert Band. He has been heard over WFME and WQXR radio and has recorded for Delos Records International, the Educational Testing Service, Koch Records and the Musical Heritage Society.

Mr. Palatucci has appeared in both recital and concert with the New York Philharmonic's principal trumpet Philip Smith and principal trombone Joseph Alessi, euphonium soloist Jason Ham of the West Point Band, jazz euphoniumist John Allred and tuba virtuoso Harvey Phillips. He has presented master classes for the New York Brass Conference, the New Jersey Music Educators Association, William Paterson State and Montclair State Universities. He has performed under the batons of Henry Brant, Lucas Foss, Morton Gould, Skitch Henderson, Alan Hovhaness, Karel Husa and Leonard Smith. His orchestral engagements include the American Ballet Theater, the Ars Musica Chorus and Orchestra, the Gramercy Brass Orchestra, the New Jersey Pops, the New Jersey State Opera, the North Jersey Philharmonic, the Summit Symphony and the New Jersey Guild of Composers. Appearances with other musical luminaries range from Placido Domingo, Jerome Hines and Robert Merrill to Dave Brubeck to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

A 1983 charter member of the Ridgewood Concert Band led by Dr. Chris Wilhjelm, Mr. Palatucci was its first associate conductor. Since 1990, Mr. Palatucci has served as music director of the Orpheus Club Male Chorus of Ridgewood, making his Lincoln Center conducting debut with them in April 2005. In 1991, as a member of the executive committee for the Billy Graham Northern New Jersey Crusade, he was responsible for the recruiting and overseeing of a 3,000 voice choir while in 1993 he served as music director and principal conductor of The Camp-of-the-Woods Staff Band and Chorus in Speculator, New York. He led the New American Concert Band, making his NYC conducting debut in 1994. From 1996 through 1998 he led the Ridgewood Singers Mixed Chorus. For two years he served the North Jersey School Music Association as JHS orchestra auditions chair. Over his career, Mr. Palatucci has guest conducted many festival bands, choirs and orchestras including the New Jersey Peninsula Combined High School Band, the All-North Jersey Junior High School Orchestra, the American Boy Choir and the Central Jersey Intermediate School Band.

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