Biography

Brian Dollinger, Conductor and Music Director of the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra and Clinton Symphony (IA) has been praised here and abroad by audiences and musicians alike.

"His performance proved to be unforgettable and one of the most significant artistic events"
          Jan Milosz Zarzycki Music Director, Lutoslawski's Philharmony  Poland.

Mr. Dollinger has guest conducted the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra (IN), and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra (IN). His other conducting positions have included conductor of the Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra in Bloomington, IL (Fall 2008), Assistant Conductor of the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and Ball State University Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the East Central Indiana Youth Symphony Orchestra.

His passion for conducting, teaching and mentoring has led to Music Director and Conductor (in his fourth season) of the Bradley Symphony Orchestra at the Bradley University in Peoria, IL. At this institution, he teaches conducting students as well as double bass. Recently appointed the Musical Director of the Central Illinois Youth Symphony (CIYS), he started this position in the Fall of 2009. Proudly, he is an alum of the CIYS program, having performed for many years in both the Central Illinois Concert Orchestra and the CIYS ensembles as a double bassist.

Mr. Dollinger is a frequent conductor and clinician for various youth string festivals, competitions, and workshops.  In November of 2008, Mr. Dollinger was invited to teach and conduct at the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) District Festival for Districts 2 & 8 held on the campus of Northern Illinois University.

In 2008, Mr. Dollinger traveled to Lomza, Poland to appear as guest conductor of the Lomzynska Orkiestra Kameralna (Lomza Chamber Orchestra). He has worked with many exciting artists such as Dan Kamin, Marcia Henry-Liebenow, Anthony Arnone, Dariusz Samol, Kitty Karn, Katie Wolfe, Kelly Langenberg, and Rei Hotoda.  

Mr. Dollinger has participated in various prestigious conducting workshops including the American Symphony Orchestra League, the International Academy of Advanced Conducting, and the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina. He studied conducting with Leonid Korchmar, Oleg Proskurnya, Adrian Gnam, Manuel Alvarez, Larry Rachleff, Glenn Block, Leonard Atherton, and Tomasz Golka.

Mr. Dollinger graduated from the Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance and a Master of Music Degree in Orchestral Conducting and Double Bass Performance. During his doctoral studies at Ball State University, Mr. Dollinger was inducted into the Phi Kappa Lambda Honor Society while at BSU.  Mr. Dollinger also received the “Outstanding Graduate Student” award from the School of Music, and a “Certificate of Achievement” from the Graduate School at Ball State.

Mr. Dollinger is the proud father of ten-year old daughter, Arianna Rose, who is in her fifth year of taking violin lessons.  Arianna has begun taking horse-riding lessons on an American Saddlebred horse named Carlos.  He is also the proud step-father to 10-year old, Constantine, who is in his fourth year of studying cello and has begun Junior Football League.