An acclaimed conductor with a repertoire ranging from Baroque classics to modern masterpieces, George Stelluto has made a name for himself—both as resident conductor of the Juilliard School and, more recently, as music director of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of West Virginia University and the Yale School of Music, the master violinist and maestro has traveled around the world and back collaborating with numerous orchestras, arranging music and advocating for the arts.
In addition to being Julliard’s only Artist Diploma recipient in conducting, Stelluto has been honored with the 2012 ASCAP Award for Adventuresome Programming, the Nevada Regents Creativity Award, and the Bruno Walter Memorial Fellowship to Juilliard. He is also the assistant conductor of the Ravinia Festival and music director for the Juilliard Pre-College Symphony.
- Words to live by: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did… Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” —Einstein
Also: “Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” —Machiavelli (He has a bad rep, but good material.)
- Last novel read: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. Read it. You won’t accept “I can’t do it” from anyone ever again—including yourself.
- Favorite artist: Musical: Whomever I am performing at the moment (no joke). Visual: Pollack and van Gogh.
- Favorite aspect of central Illinois: The nature of its good people and the goodness of its nature—the land.
- Favorite treat: Oysters at Jonah’s. Question: Why don’t they have an all-you-can-eat special? Answer: Because they would need to save them all for me.
- Biggest pet peeve: Lack of intellectual integrity.
- Secret ambition: To own and run a restaurant after I finish chef’s school.
- Greatest fear: That we can still mess this whole thing up—apply as appropriate.
- Three things I’d want on a deserted island: If alone, food, water and an excellent library of books and musical scores. If I could choose my companions, then, besides family and friends, interesting minds and personalities.
- What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? I once heard that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather, indifference. The casual indifference human beings show each other is truly miserable. a&s
