MRS. DONNA CARDANEO, DIRECTOR OF BANDS

Donna Cardaneo is recently retired from the position of Band Director at South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey for the past 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree as well as a Masters of Arts in Instrumental Conducting from The College of New Jersey. Prior to her years at SBHS, she was the Band Director at Immaculata High School for eight years.

Mrs. Cardaneo maintains an active role as conductor, educator and performer throughout the state. She has worked with numerous concert and marching bands as a woodwind and marching technician and has guest conducted the CJMEA Region Symphonic Band in 2002 and 2020, and the Augustana College Honor Band, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mrs. Cardaneo has been a member of the NJ All State Procedures Committee from 2002–2018. In 2016, the New Jersey Music Educators Association awarded Mrs. Cardaneo the Distinguished Leadership and Service Award. In addition to conducting, she also plays bass clarinet and is the Librarian for the Eastern Wind Symphony and has performed with artists such as Joe Alessi, Phil Smith, Alan Baer, and Stanley Drucker.

As an educator, Mrs. Cardaneo has worked as a band director for the past thirty-three years in New Jersey at Notre Dame High School, Immaculata High School and South Brunswick High School. Her ensembles have performed in numerous festivals including the Metropolitan Wind Band Invitational, the MidAtlantic Wind Band Festival and this past year the Wind Ensemble was chosen as one of twenty-six ensembles in the nation to perform at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana.

She is very excited to bring her talents back home to Immaculata High School!!

MR. MICHAEL GASKO '06, DIRECTOR OF VOCAL MUSIC, MUSIC DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR

Mr. Gasko ’06, is proud to be in his 11th year teaching music at Immaculata as both the Department Director and Director of Vocal Music. Mr. Gasko directs the Spartan Choir, A Capella Choir, Chamber Choir, Music Ministry, and also serves as the vocal director and production manager for the Spring Musical.

Mr. Gasko earned his Bachelors of Music degree in Music Education from The College of New Jersey and his Masters of Music degree in Music Education from Rutgers University. As a performer, he currently sings professionally at Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville as a soloist and small ensemble chorister.

Throughout his career as a music teacher at IHS Mr. Gasko has led the choirs to many prestigious performances including singing yearly for the Bishop, performing at Disney World, and competing in the ACDA Choral Festival in which his Chamber choir has received ratings of Superior and Outstanding. Mr. Gasko has a passion for vocal music and is blessed to be able to share his love of singing with his students while also using vocal music to teach the gospel values he was taught when he was a student at IHS. Mr. Gasko attributes his success at IHS to his wife and family, as well as Sister Dolores Margaret and Mr. Ed Webber who taught him how to continue the Tradition of Excellence that they built over their many years as his teacher and colleague.

MR. NICHOLAS SEIFERT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BANDS

Mr. Seifert has been newly hired as the Assistant Director of the Immaculata Band Program, including the academic classes Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Honors Wind Ensemble; as well as the Immaculata Marching Band. Mr. Seifert will also serve as director of the Jazz Band, teach instrumental lessons, and teach electives in Music Technology and Music and Film.

Mr. Seifert graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame majoring in music performance and biological sciences. At Notre Dame, he studied saxophone with Mr. Wade Armentrout and conducting with Mr. Dan Stowe. He was involved throughout the Band of the Fighting Irish, performing with the Marching Band, Symphonic Winds, Jazz Band, New Orleans Brass Band, Saxophone Ensemble, Sorin’s Band, Basketball and Hockey Pep Bands, and on the annual Domestic Concert Band Tour. For his service to the band, he was awarded the Notre Dame Outstanding Band Member Award in 2020. He also was very active in Notre Dame’s music ministry, serving as Assistant Director of the Notre Dame Handbell Choir, and directing Unchained Melodies Christian a Capella.

Mr. Seifert previously graduated from Bridgewater-Raritan High School and is excited to return home as an educator to the central NJ music community. Mr. Seifert is also the Assistant Director of Somerset Hills Harmony, an area mixed a capella and barbershop chorus, and a choir member and instrumental soloist at Pluckemin Presbyterian Church.