Victor T. Anstine (1997-) is a conductor, composer, clarinetist, pianist, musicologist, and managerial musician who grew up in Green, Ohio. He attended The Cleveland Institute of Music’s Young Composers Program under the instruction of Dr. Keith Fitch, 2014-2015. Victor has in addition received the John Philip Sousa Band Award, as well as a ©National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy® Student Production Award for his film score for Buzzing In The Garage, a film by Nate Laguardia, August, 2017, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He has conducted ensembles in The United States, Hungary, Vienna and Italy.
As a composer, he has acquired a spacious composition portfolio of symphonies, piano concertos, suites for an array of instrumentations, tone poems for large orchestra, a Mass in G minor, and is currently working toward completing two semi-seria Italian operas, a German opera seria, a French comedic opera, and a Faust-inspired cantata.
Victor was trained as a large ensemble clarinetist by the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Preparatory Department and Faculty of The Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony. The Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony went on a European Concert Tour under Dr. Gary Ciepluch, playing in Belgium, Austria, and Germany in the summer of 2016, of which Victor served as principal and concertmaster. He played Bass Clarinet, E-flat Clarinet and B-flat/A in the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra under Brett Mitchell, 2015-2016 season. Victor was under the tutelage of Professor Jayne Naragon for 4 years, and under Dr. Kristina Belisle Jones, (retired) Principal clarinetist of the Akron Symphony & Professor of Clarinet at the University of Akron School of Music for four years, and Dr. Gail Lehto Zugger, Professor of Clarinet at Capital University Conservatory of Music for his Undergraduate degree. During this time as well, he received the influential musical and conducting instruction from Dr. Jeffrey D. Gershman, Director of Wind Ensembles at Capital University Conservatory of Music, now of the College of Wooster, where he played in the top wind ensemble four years consecutively. He has also had the opportunity to rehearse under conductors and composers such as Benjamin Zander, Franz Welser-Möst, Frank Tichelli, Johan de Meij, Michael Markowski, Julie Giroux, and John Mackey.
During his pursuit of a Clarinet Performance Degree at Capital University Conservatory of Music, in Columbus OH, Victor began devotedly studying orchestral and operatic conducting, and conductors such as Gustav Mahler, Arthur Nikisch, Bruno Walter, Claudio Abbado, Artur Bodanzky & Leonard Bernstein to name a few, as well as much of the standard, and the forgotten, orchestral repertoire.
While Completing his Bachelor of Music, Victor organized, prepared, rehearsed and performed chamber ensemble arrangements of Gustav Mahler’s Eighth, Fifth, *Tenth and *Second Symphonies (*canceled by Covid-19 outbreak). He has conducted works by Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, Percy Grainger, Richard Wagner, Chevalier de St. Georges Joseph Bologne, Giuseppe Verdi, Johann Strauss Jr, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Florence Price, and Gustav Mahler.
Throughout these four years, he began a lifelong study of the production of Opera and drama, and the importance it holds in society. Mahler, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Berlioz, Beethoven, Rossini, Mozart, Lully, Puccini, Lilli Boulanger, Bellini, Donizetti, Strauss Jr, and Ethyl Smyth are just a few composers he began tirelessly studying. He is also comfortable in the position of Maestro al cembalo. In August, 2021, Victor conducted in the “Luigi Mancinelli Opera Conducting Competition” in Orvieto, Italy, studying Pietro Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria Rusticana. In July, 2022 he conducted in the first annual “Vienna School Conducting Competition” in Vienna, Austria, studying Franz Joseph Haydn, Anton Webern and Wolfgang Mozart.
“Mr. Anstine’s affinity to inspire and create in artistic numbers is something that has always remained paramount to him, and he strives to inspire communities through music and drama, as it has inspired him so tremendously to share the richness of music to create beautiful and authentic performances.”
Artistic Philosophy:
“I should like to add a word as to the value of the gramophone to the intelligent student. Today, anyone can enjoy this priceless privilege, wherever he may reside. If he is studying a role, he can be "coached" in the most practical and unrivalled manner by all the greatest artist of the day. Beyond a doubt the gramophone should be the guide, philosopher, and friend and the most trusted and most competent aid to all students and teachers. One would think, indeed, that the coming generation should provide us with singers in such a plenty as the world has never known before with the aid of such priceless help.”
— Luisa Tetrazzini, 1923 “How To Sing” Treatise
Below is an timeline of his success as a clarinetist, composer and conductor, and some experiences that have shaped his musical development:
2008-2009 -
Fifth grade band: Began composition studies with his band director, Nancy Gregg
Began playing Clarinet. Studied with Jayne Naragon, University of Mount Union & Kent State University School of Music clarinet instructor
2010-2012 -
Began playing in the Akron Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (3 seasons) principal 2 seasons
Honors Band in Bowling Green, principal
2012 -
Performed 2nd movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and solo & ensemble and received a rating of I .(superior performance)
Honors Band, principal chair, canceled due to dangerous snow and weather conditions
2013 -
Began studying with Dr. Kristina Belisle-Jones, Akron University Professor of Clarinet & Principal clarinetist of Akron Symphony
Performed principal clarinet/bass clarinet in Green High school’s pit orchestra: “Legally Blonde”
Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony Group II, 2nd clarinet
Honors Band in Lima, Ohio
Summer: CIM summer program “Young Composers’ Camp” (Out To Sea, for flute & piano)
Performed Weber’s “Clarinet Concertino” for solo & ensemble and received a rating of I (superior performance)
2014 -
Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony Group I, 1st clarinet.
Performed principal clarinet and bass clarinet in his school’s pit orchestra: “Shrek: The Musical”
Performed in the Akron Youth Symphony
Honors Band at Akron University, 3rd chair
Honors Band at Green High School: 2nd chair/E Flat clarinet
Met Benjamin Zander at the Akron Symphony
Performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, Movement 1 at solo & ensemble and received a rating of I. (superior performance)
Summer: CIM summer program “Young Composers’ Camp” (Suite for Cello & Piano)
2015-2016 -
Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony Group I, Principal Clarinet
Played principal clarinet, bass and E flat in school pit orchestra: “Mary Poppins”
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, 3rd chair, B flat/A, E flat and Bass clarinet under Brett Mitchell
Solo and Ensemble 2016- “Cappricio” for A Clarinet, Heinrich Sutermeister, (I) Superior Rating
June, 2016: Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony embarked on a 14 day European Concert Tour
2016-2020 - Undergraduate, Capital University Conservatory of Music, Columbus, OH
Capital University Symphonic Winds, Bb and Eb Clarinet, 4 years
Capital University Orchestra, Bb/A and Eb Clarinet, 3 years
Rehearsed, conducted, and performed finale of Mahler's 3rd Symphony, Brass Quintet and Timpani
8 semesters of stimulating chamber music ensembles, Woodwind Quintets, Clarinet Choirs, Clarinet Quartets
Began historic recording study (2016)
Transcribed, rehearsed, conducted and performed Finale of Mahler's 8th Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, Perc. and Organ
Began studying Opera and Production (2017)
Junior Clarinet Recital, Saint-Saëns, Stravinsky & Debussy
Several of his new compositions were premiered and played at Capital University
Capital University Symphonic Winds OMEA Cleveland Conference 2019 Performance, "Capital 100 years of music"
Played Bass clarinet, Bb/A Clarinet in pit orchestra for Capital's production of "Parade"
Senior Clarinet Performance Recital, Mozart, Berg & Ewazen
Capital University Symphonic Winds Chicago Conference 2020 Performance, "Still, I Rise."
Transcribed, edited, rehearsed and conducted Scherzo and Finale of Mahler's 10th Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Percussion*
Transcribed, edited and assembled musicians and vocalists for tentative May performance of the finale of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony*
*Last 7 weeks of semester transferred to online learning, due to COVID-19 spread and precautionary measures in the USA*
2021 -
Recordings of Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll”, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Mov. 1, Joseph Bologne “L'Amant Anonyme” Overture, and Mascagni’s Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticana” in Columbus, Ohio, United States
Participated in the 9th Annual Luigi Mancinelli Competition for Opera Conductors, in Orvieto, Italy, August 18-21, 2021, opera: “Cavalleria Rusticana”
Conducted a 2022 Digital New Years Concert in Columbus, Ohio, United States
2022 -
Participated in the First Annual “Vienna School” Conducting Competition in Vienna, Austria, July 5-8, 2022, conducting Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Webern
Appointed Music Director and Conductor of The Akron Pops Orchestra
Appointed Assistant Conductor of the Euclid Symphony, under mentor Matthew Salvaggio
2023 - 2024
Conducted the Danube Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, Hungary in a program of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana Prelude, Mahler’s Blumine from Symphony No. 1, Donizetti’s Fille du Regiment Overture, and Wagner’s Meistersinger Prelude
Conductor and clarinet soloist for performances of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for the works centennial with the Akron Pops Orchestra and pianist Janice Fehlauer in summer 2024
Collated works to soundtrack the 1921 Buster Keaton silent film “The Haunted House” performed with the Akron Pops Orchestra at the Akron Civic Theatre
Appointed Pit Orchestra Conductor for the Akron Civic Theatre’s Akron All-City Musical Production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid by Alan Menken, performing in June 2024