Zachary Carrettin gave his conducting debut with the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Kishinev, Moldavia, and has since led performances by orchestras in Romania, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the United States. An avid educator, he has conducted all-region orchestras, youth orchestras, and university symphony orchestras in California, Indiana, Illinois and Texas. He is the former Artistic Director and Conductor of the Tri-Valley Youth Symphony, the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony, and the Illini Orchestra at the University of Illinois, where he led the orchestra in a number of world-premiere performances of works by living composers including Ray Granlund and Cristian Lolea. Critical reviews have included the following words:
"Carrettin's elegant podium technique and lack of histrionics were engaging, not to mention his obvious background in all orchestral music ranging from baroque to contemporary." (Lafayette Journal and Courier)
In 2005, Carrettin conducted the first-known performance of Giuseppe Antonio Capuzzi’s ballet music, “l’Impostore punito”, at Rice University Shepherd School of Music, as part of the Capuzzi Festival, a three-day event dedicated to reviving the music of this influential classical period composer, (1755-1818). He is currently Conductor of the Houston Youth Symphony Sinfonia, and in 2012-2013, assumes the position of Music Director and Conductor with Linea Perfekta, a newly-formed Houston-based chamber orchestra devoted to the dynamic and informed performance of music from seven centuries.
Mr. Carrettin holds a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied orchestral conducting with Donald Schleicher, and a Performance Certificate in conducting from the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania, where he served as assistant to Maestro Dumitru Goia. Additionally, Carrettin studied with Kenneth Kiesler, Ian Hobson, Michael Morgan, Larry Rachleff, and Michael Tilson Thomas at master classes and festivals internationally.