Cassandra Tarantino
North County Choir Director
Cassandra Tarantino has her Bachelors degrees in Church Music emphasizing Choral Conducting and Performance Flute, and English Literature. Ms. Tarantino has participated in prestigious music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival in New Hampshire, the Abeyrstwyth Music Festival in Wales, and the Morges Chamber Music Festival in Switzerland. She also took a six month sabbatical in Northern Ireland to study music and the Irish-Celtic Language.
After receiving her Masters of Music Degree in Flute Performance form California State University, Northridge, Ms. Tarantino began teaching and performing vocal and instrumental music in Santa Barbara. Her main focus was to establish choral and instrumental music programs which had been vacant in the elementary schools. In 2002, Ms. Tarantino began conducting and teaching music theory with the Santa Barbara Children's Chorus
Shortly after moving to San Luis Obispo in 2003, Ms. Tarantino formed an Early Music ensemble with Guitarist James Edwards called the Lark Consort, which focuses primarily on Renaissance and Baroque music for lute, Period Guitars, recorder, transverse flute and continuo. She has also co-founded a new chamber music series in San Luis Obispo called Second Sundays at St. Stephens. Folk music and dance are a passion for Ms. Tarantino, and you will often find her playing and dancing traditional Irish, English Country and Contra Dance music.