Dominic Talanca

Dominic Talanca assumed responsibility as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Wilmington Symphonic Winds in 2017. He is also the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. At UNCW, Dr. Talanca conducts the Symphonic Band & Pep Band, teaches courses in conducting & woodwind techniques, and administers all aspects of the band program. In addition to his responsibilities with the Wilmington Symphonic Winds and UNCW, Dr. Talanca is also the conductor of Southern Harmonie, the Wilmington Symphony Pops Orchestra, and the OLLI New Horizons Band.

Talanca received the Bachelor of Music Education degree and Master of Music in Wind Conducting degree from the University of North Texas, where he studied conducting with Eugene Migliaro Corporon. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting degree at Northwestern University, where he studied with Mallory Thompson.

Dr. Talanca taught for ten years in the Lewisville Independent School District in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and served as the Associate Director of Bands at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas from 2006–13. During this time, the student musicians were recognized for their performances in concert and marching activities - earning numerous placements in the All-Region and All-State ensembles as well as 4 consecutive biannual Texas 5A State Marching Championship Awards.

Talanca co-authored a beginning band method, Musical Mastery, published by MRNS Music. The text is used in 140+ school districts (over 400 schools) in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and internationally (e.g., Japan and Oman) - impacting an estimated 100,000+ students to date. Several universities have also adopted the book as the primary text for their instrumental methods classes.

Additionally, Dr. Talanca has contributed three chapters to GIA Publication's Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series in addition to published journal articles for the music education journals in North Carolina, Utah, Arkansas, and an article in the WASBE Journal. He has presented multiple times at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago and numerous other music education conferences in North Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

Talanca has recorded over 450 significant works in the wind band repertoire on the Mark Custom, Klavier, Naxos, and GIA recording labels. He has also had the privilege to conduct as well as perform & record with the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. Dr. Talanca is an active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. In recent years, he has been invited to guest conduct ensembles throughout North Carolina, across the US, and in Costa Rica and Germany.