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Professional Overview

Dr. Sixto F. Montesinos Jr., D.M.A. is the Director of the Music Program, Assistant Professor of Music, and Head of Instrumental Studies at Saint Mary's College of California, located in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area. A passionate conductor, music educator, and scholar, Dr. Montesinos specializes in musical theater conducting, particularly the repertoire of Stephen Sondheim, as well as orchestral and wind band conducting, and Mexican pop music. He is deeply committed to strengthening Mexican-American relations through music, using performance and education to challenge stereotypes and promote the representation of Mexican, LGBTQ+, and LatinX communities within the field of music.

Dr. Montesinos is a highly sought-after conductor both in the Bay Area and internationally. He is a regular guest conductor with the Awesöme Orchestra Collective, a Bay Area ensemble that amplifies marginalized voices, forges deep community partnerships, and promotes equity and representation at all levels of performance. Awesöme Orchestra’s mission is to make orchestral experiences accessible, fostering creative and inclusive musical adventures for both musicians and the public. He has also collaborated with the Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC), where he most recently conducted Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George. Dr. Montesinos also serves on the board of directors of YMTC.

His conducting engagements span the globe, including recent performances with the Tokyo Sinfonia in Japan, the Banda Municipal de Barcelona in Spain, and the Sonora Philharmonic in Mexico, as well as with honor bands across the United States. He also led the Bay Area premiere of the opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna with West Edge Opera in Oakland, California. Currently, Dr. Montesinos is one of four finalists for the position of Music Director of the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (BARS). Additionally, he served as Visiting Music Director at Stanford University, conducting their spring production of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins.

In December 2021, Dr. Montesinos presented a clinic at the 75th Annual Midwest Clinic, titled "Surpassing La Cucaracha and the Mexican Hat Dance". His presentation focused on diversifying Mexican-themed repertoire for instrumental ensembles and debunking common musical stereotypes.

Dr. Montesinos earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His research focused on the evolution and socio-political influence of wind bands in Mexico from the War of Independence to the Mexican Revolution. While at Rutgers, Dr. Montesinos served as a teaching assistant with the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, participating in performances for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. He also worked as a Graduate Assistant Conductor with the Rutgers Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds. In 2016, he conducted the U.S. premiere of two wind pieces by Colombian composer Victoriano Valencia with the Rutgers University Concert Band, and later presented Valencia’s works at the CBDNA Eastern Division Conference at Yale University.

Prior to his time in California, Dr. Montesinos was Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Ferrum College in Virginia, where he founded several ensembles, including the Ferrum College Panther Marching Band. Under his leadership, enrollment in the band program doubled, and he developed a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, as well as an Appalachian Folk Music Program and a guest artist recital series.

Before pursuing his doctoral studies, Dr. Montesinos served as a high school band director at Jersey Village High School in Houston, where he conducted multiple ensembles and earned division one ratings at the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Concert and Sightreading Contest.

Dr. Montesinos holds a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he studied under his mentor, Dr. Clifton Evans. He has participated in numerous prestigious conducting programs, including the Frederick Fennell Memorial Conducting Masterclass, the University of North Texas Conductors Collegium, and the International Institute for Conductors in Romania. As a doctoral student, he had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned conductor H. Robert Reynolds during a residency at Rutgers University.

As a flutist, Dr. Montesinos has performed at the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, and was a faculty member at FlootFire Houston. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Houston, where he was principal flute of the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. His early musical training includes performances with the Houston Symphony and studies at The Juilliard School and the Brevard Music Center.

Dr. Montesinos’ international engagements extend to Peru, where he has built strong ties with band directors, giving seminars and presentations at the PERUBANDAS National Congress. His writings have been published in the Instrumentalist Magazine and the WASBE Journal.

A native of Coyoacán, Mexico City, Dr. Montesinos began his musical career at the age of four, studying piano at the renowned Yamaha Institute.