AACC professor Anna Binneweg considers the most memorable moment of her profession to be conducting the Chernihiv Philharmonic in eastern Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian people felt distraught and hopeless as a country, and yet were very touched that an American would come to their city and work with their community during such a time of conflict and strife,” Binneweg said. “The orchestra, the audience and the city were able to temporarily compartmentalize their fears and heartache and experience hope through music, even if just for a 90 minute concert.”           

Starting her 10th year on the AACC Performing Arts faculty, Dr. Binneweg teaches courses in Music Theory and Ear Training. She also serves as the Music Director and Conductor of the AACC Symphony Orchestra and often serves as conductor for productions of the AACC Opera.             

Dr. Binneweg began conducting during her undergraduate education at California Polytechnic State University in California. Then she went on to pursue her masters at Southern Methodist University in Texas and finished her Doctorate degree in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University in Illinois.           

Along with her conducting work here at the college, she is the music director and conductor of the Londontowne Symphony and also serves as a guest conductor for many orchestras, but the National Symphony Orchestra being one of the most notable.

Her work as a conductor has taken her to some of the biggest stages in the United States, and internationally.

“I have had the pleasure and opportunity to conduct at Walt Disney’s Concert Hall in Los Angeles, in addition to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with both the National Symphony Orchestra in 2005 and the AACC Symphony in 2016,” Binneweg said. 

Binneweg has also performed in Washington DC, Baltimore, California, Nevada and in other countries such as Ukraine and Belarus.           

Dr. Binneweg gets the help and support she needs from her family at home, her colleagues in Londontowne, and the students & faculty here at AACC when it comes time to take a breath or to go to work.

“I admire her,” said Alexandra Carter, one of Binneweg’s Music Theory students. “It’s awesome how she can juggle school and conducting. I want to be able to do what she does.”            

Dr. Binneweg will be conducting the AACC symphony orchestra in concert on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Robert E. Kauffman Theater located in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts.