Winner of the 33rd International Conductors Workshop and Competition, American conductor and composer Steven Cooler brings an infectious passion of music to the podium. He has led performances with a wide array of ensembles ranging from scholastic choirs to collegiate wind bands and professional orchestras. His compositional output extends from concert halls to football fields and have been performed in venues ranging from New York to Argentina. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Steven is a graduate conductor at the University of Southern Mississippi and makes regular podium appearances with the different bands at the university.

Passionate about the transformative impact of music education, Steven is an active clinician and designer working with various concerts and marching programs throughout the southeast. He has taught sessions on student leadership to high school musicians and conducting workshops to scholastic drum majors. He has prepared presentations on teaching strategies for young music educators and designing for artistry in the marching arts to be presented in Mississippi and Georgia. His enthusiasm for education led him to a career in the Georgia public schools where he taught band, choir, and music appreciation. His students have been accepted to Georgia’s prestigious Governor’s Honor Program, the Georgia All-State Band, Georgia’s All-State Orchestra and various district and regional level honor bands throughout the state. He currently serves on the instructional staff of Atlanta CV Drum and Bugle Corps and Atlanta Quest’s Q2 indoor percussion ensemble.

His experiences as a performer range from wind bands and opera to drum corps and winter guard. He has attended workshops taught by conductors Eugene Corporon, Andrew Trachsel, Philip Greenberg, and Greg Pritchard. His most influential teachers include Catherine Rand, Adrian Gnam, Reed Hanna and Kristi Kiene Anderson. He received dual bachelor’s degree in composition and music education from Georgia Southern University and a Masters of Music in conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi.