Michael Stanley is the Music Director and Conductor of the Westlake Village Symphony and the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a multi-talented conductor,
French horn player and music educator who has performed in such world-renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and UCLA’s Royce Hall. As a conductor, his performances have garnered outstanding reviews, with the Los Angeles Times proclaiming that “…[his] ensemble performed beautifully.”
Mr. Stanley has conducted both nationally and internationally, including leading
the prestigious YMF Debut Orchestra at the finals of the 2019 Christopher Parkening
International Guitar Competition. In addition, he has appeared as guest conductor with
many regional orchestras such as the Beach Cities and New Valley Symphonies. An
advocate for new music, he has commissioned and premiered many compositions in a
variety of genres. Mr. Stanley’s versatility has led him to conduct numerous pit
orchestras in shows ranging from Sweeney Todd to Jesus Christ Superstar and he is a
sought-after festival adjudicator and clinician throughout Southern California.
As a music educator, Mr. Stanley is committed to providing musical opportunities
to young people from diverse communities. In his role as a Teaching Artist for the
Young Musicians Foundation, he has provided music instruction to underserved youth
across the Los Angeles area. He is also proud to be the inaugural director of the
Burbank Philharmonic’s “Discovery Conductor Project,” a unique program designed to
find and train the next generation of young conductors. During his more than 20 years of
music teaching experience, he has served on the faculties of College of the Canyons
and Los Angeles Valley College and has been honored as “Teacher of the Year” for his
outstanding teaching and dedication to his students.
Mr. Stanley is currently a Doctoral student at Claremont Graduate University,
where he studies conducting with Dr. David Rentz. He received his MM in Orchestral
Conducting from California State University, Long Beach, under the tutelage of Dr.
Richard Rintoul. Among his many additional conducting teachers and mentors are
Kenneth Kiesler, Jeffrey Schindler, Markand Thakar, Donald Schleicher, and Barry
Brisk. Mr. Stanley earned his BA in Music summa cum laude from UCLA, majoring in
French horn with Richard Todd. He continues to play the horn regularly in Southern
California with groups such as the Topanga Symphony, Moorpark Symphony, and LA
Lawyers Philharmonic.
