DR. ANDREW PEREA

Dr. Andrew Perea has been in the music profession for over thirty-five years. In that time, he has run the gamut of the music industry, having conducted symphony orchestras, performed both as soloist and concertmaster with various ensembles, taught gifted students of all ages publicly and privately, recorded various albums in the studio, and collaborated with many talented commercial musicians. He loves every aspect of his work, including writing and arranging music of all styles and genres. His many collaborations include performances with such legendary artists as Yanni, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, Gunther Schuler, and the world-renowned violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman.

Apart from concertizing, Dr. Perea greatly enjoys working with young people. He taught in the Long Island public school system for twenty years and has directed various music festivals, including NMEA and SCMEA All-County, William Floyd All-District, and HMEA All-Area. Of course, he continues to enjoy being Musical Director of the Repertory and String Orchestras of the Gemini Youth Orchestras program. Currently, he is also working with Five Towns College to coordinate an extensive classical music performance program, along with its established jazz and commercial music, and audio and film engineering programs.

BONNIE FOTI
Bonnie Foti is a dedicated and experienced music educator who has been teaching for 25 years. She graduated from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, which laid the foundation for her successful career in music education.

Mrs. Foti began her teaching journey at Brentwood Schools, where she gained valuable experience working with young musicians at North Middle School. Currently, Mrs. Foti teaches middle school orchestra at Commack Middle School. Her passion for music and dedication to her students is shared with her 6th, 7th and select orchestras.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Foti has taken on various leadership roles in the music education community. Mrs. Foti has chaired and conducted SCMEA (Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association) festivals, contributing to the growth of music education in her area. She has held several different positions on the Long Island String Festival Orchestra (LISFA) board, supporting string music education across Long Island. Currently, Mrs. Foti serves as the vice president for the LISFA Suffolk Intermediate Festival, helping to organize and promote this important event for young string players. Most recently, she joined the Gemini Youth Orchestras family, where she conducts the Repertory Orchestra, helping young musicians develop their skills and love for music.

In addition to her teaching and leadership roles, Mrs. Foti continues to pursue her own musical interests. She currently plays with the Northport Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to music performance.

MICHAEL CANIPE
A native of North Carolina, Michael Canipe graduated from East Carolina University in 1964 with a B.S. in Music Education. While pursuing a masters degree in Trombone Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, he studied conducting with James Levine. For the past forty-plus years Mr. Canipe has been active as both an educator and a professional musician. He was both a teacher and a band director in the Half Hollow Hills School District and retired as Director of Music and Fine Art for the Deer Park Schools in 2001. Mr. Canipe plays principal euphonium for the Queens-based Seuffert Band and the Concert Pops of Long Island. He has performed as trombonist in the North Carolina Symphony and bass trombonist for the Symphony of Long Island. Mr. Canipe founded the Long Island Tuba Quartet and has also collaborated with Orlando Ballet of Huntington and the Circle of Dance Company as arranger and conductor. Founder of the Gemini Festival Winds (now Gemini Concert Winds), Mr. Canipe served as Music Director of GYO from 2005-2007.