October 15-16, 2026
Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination Parkway
Orlando FL 32819
Keynote Speaker
Bruce Walker
Bruce Walker is an Associate Professor of Music at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Washington, and Music Director of the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Americas, on the national Conducting Committee for the American String Teachers Association, as the College/University Representative for the Washington Music Educators Association, and is a Past President of the Washington chapter of ASTA. In recognition of his contributions to music education, he was named the 2021 Music Educator of the Year by the Washington Music Educators Association.
Mr. Walker has built an active and wide-ranging career as a conductor, clinician, and cellist. He has appeared with orchestras throughout the Pacific Northwest, including theWalla Walla Symphony, Olympia Symphony, Yakima Symphony, Portland Columbia Symphony, Oregon East Symphony, and the Musicians of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Known for his dynamic teaching style, engaging rapport with students, and deep knowledge of the orchestral repertoire, he is in frequent demand as a guest conductor and adjudicator for All-State and Honors Orchestras nationwide. Recent and upcoming engagements include the 2025 NAfME All-Eastern Orchestra in Hartford, Connecticut, as well as festivals and adjudications across the Pacific Northwest, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Maryland.
Each summer, Mr. Walker works throughout the United States and Canada at Suzuki institutes, music camps, and festivals. Internationally, he has taught and conducted through the Youth Excellence on Stage Academy in collaboration with American Voices, a cultural-exchange organization that enabled him to work with young musicians and educators in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
As a conductor, he has participated in numerous workshops, institutes, and masterclasses, including the Marrowstone Music Festival, the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians, the University of Oregon Orchestral Conducting Institute, the Astoria Music Festival, and workshops sponsored by the Conductor’s Guild and the Rose City International Conducting Workshop.
Mr. Walker earned Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Cello Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Master of Music degree from Central Washington University with emphases in Orchestral Conducting and Cello Performance. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Music Education at Boston University, where he is completing a dissertation examining microaggressions in music education. Outside the classroom and off the podium, he enjoys traveling across the Pacific Northwest, experimenting with new recipes on his barbecue smoker, and collecting and admiring argyle socks.
Registration
Fall Conference Registration Coming Soon
FOA & FL ASTA Members:
Pre-Registration: $80
On-Site: $105
Spouse: $45
First-Year Teachers:
Pre-Registration: $50
On-Site: $80
Retired Members
Pre-Registration: $45
On-Site: $50
College Students
Pre-Registration: $20
On-Site: $25
Pre-Registration Deadline: Monday, October 13, 2025, 1:00 p.m.
Hotel
Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination Parkway
Orlando, FL, 32819
Resort fee includes:
Basic WiFi
Free local and toll-free calls
15% discount on hotel restaurants and lounges (except Tropics pool bar & grill)
24-hour access to Fitness Center
10% discount on Spa Treatments
25% discount on Pool Cabanas
Reservations available soon!
