Pro Artè Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington

Schooled in the European tradition covering conducting, composition, opera and chamber music, Simeone Tartaglione has become a versatile musician with a wide knowledge of and passion for the many areas of this art. He studied composition and conducting in Rome at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and piano performance in Sicily at the Vincenzo Bellini Institute. In addition to his various degrees and honors, in 2003 he earned a Laurea as Doctor in Philology (Italian Literature and Musicology) Magna cum Laude, and is a published author.

Tartaglione currently holds a number of positions. At Catholic University in Washington, DC, he is Clinical Assistant Professor, conductor of the orchestra and member of the conducting faculty. He serves as Music Director of the Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra, Core Orchestral Department Head and piano instructor at the Music School of Delaware in Wilmington, Conductor of the Symphony at the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras of Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD, and Artistic Director and Conductor of St. Anthony's Italian Festival. In May of 2010 he became the Music Director of the Newark (DE) Symphony Orchestra, during which time, this orchestra's audience increased by 63%. The orchestra has also enjoyed record increases in donations, advertisers, and press coverage during this time.

Among some of his last notable performances he conducted Carmina Burana last April in a sold out Kennedy Center, made in June his debut at the Disney Hall in LA and conducted in September Catholic University Orchestra, Washington Symphony Brass and several choruses for Pope Frances memorable visit to Washington, DC.

Tartaglione has had extensive conducting experience in symphonic and operatic repertoire with orchestras from Italy, the United States, Spain, Russia, Romania, Mexico, the Ukraine and Bulgaria. He has won numerous competitions and prizes including: Allied Arts, Leon Guide, Athanor, Le Arti, Telamone, Diamante della Musica, Sykele, Rapisarda and Punto fermo. In Rome he served as the Artistic Director of the Theatre Fusillo and of the MUSA Cultural Association for five years.

After winning an audition at the University of Denver he moved there in 2005. At the same university he became Adjunct Professor of Conducting while earning an Artist Diploma. Over the next five years he worked as guest conductor, vocal coach, pianist and harpsichord player with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra's Education and Outreach Programs, Central City Opera, Marilyn Horne Foundation, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra, Augustana Musica Sacra Orchestra, and Broadway Music School. He also served as cover conductor for the Colorado Symphony on a number of occasions.

Invited by Maestro Gustav Meier in 2006, Tartaglione moved to Baltimore where he continued conducting studies at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University earning a Graduate Performing Diploma in 2009 with a conducting assistantship. From 2008 to 2010 he worked for the Peabody Opera Department, coaching and conducting several performances. In 2009 and 2010, he served as the Music Director of the Be Orchestra, a volunteer group of Peabody and other Baltimore area students and recently graduates, that served populations such as the homeless and prisoners. Still in Baltimore he served as conductor of the Chesapeake Chamber Opera conducting several staged productions. Tartaglione also collaborated with Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Peabody Symphony, Peabody Opera, and Hopkins Chorus and on occasions he served as cover and back stage conductor for the Baltimore Opera and the Baltimore Symphony.

Simeone Tartaglione has performed and recorded as conductor and as pianist in duo with his wife, well known violinist Alessandra Cuffaro, the first Italian woman who performed all the 24 Paganini's Capricci in one concert.

Last November 2015 he received in New York the ILICA award as 2015 Man of the Year.