Artistic Staff
Symphony Orchestra Conductor
Erik Bryan is the director of Orchestras at Eau Gallie high school in Melbourne Fl. His passion is helping young people discover their capabilities far exceed their prior notions of what is possible.
Mr. Bryan's teaching philosophy is driven by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to create something beautiful with their own hands.
To Erik, playing music is about learning to make sacrifices in the pursuit of beauty and community.
His orchestras are in constant pursuit of deeper connections; connections to the music, connections with the past, connections with the audience, and most importantly, connections with each other.
Festivo Conductor
Michelle Eggen is the Orchestra Director at Melbourne High School and is the conductor for the Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra's Festivo Orchestra.
The orchestra program at MHS has grown exponentially and consistently earns superior ratings at District and State Music Performance Assessments. Mrs. Eggen has given clinic presentations for the Georgia and Florida Music Education Associations and served as the District Chairperson for the Florida Orchestra
Association.
As a professional cellist, she performs with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra while maintaining an active private studio.
Mrs. Eggen is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Florida State University with Bachelors and Masters in Music Education.
Mrs. Eggen enjoys traveling and spending time with her son Williams and her schnauzer Hans.
String Ensemble Conductor
Linda Utz has been a music educator in Brevard County for more than 15 years. She started as a string consultant with the public schools and has since moved on to Holy Trinity Upper School. She maintains a private studio of 30+ students, where she teaches violin and viola lessons, as well as beginning piano and cello. She has previously taught in public schools in Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
Her performance experiences include the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera and the New Haven Symphony. She has also toured Europe as part of a solo recital program. Ms. Utz studied viola with Lillian Fuchs at the Manhattan School of Music, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree. She received her Master of Music degree from Yale, while studying with the Tokyo String Quartet.
Symphony Orchestra Conductor
Nick Eggen has been the Director of Instrumental Music at Viera High School in Brevard County, Florida since 2008. He earned the BME & MME from the Florida State University and previously taught at middle and high schools in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.
Mr. Eggen serves on the Brevard Music Leadership teamas chairman of the Florida Bandmasters Association’s Sightreading Committee and has previously served on the Florida Music Education Association Executive Board as the technology chairman and member at-large and regularly works with the FMEA Conference Planning Committee to coordinate the annual Professional Development Conference.
His professional affiliations include the Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Orchestra Association, Florida Music Education Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and the National Association for Music Education.
Mr. Eggen was elected to the Omega Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, an International Bandmasters Fraternity, in 2017. He resides in Melbourne with his wife Michelle, the Orchestra Director at Melbourne High School; his daughter Mary and sons Benjamin & William.