Assistant Professor of Music Education Frank Diaz has accepted the conductor position for the Corvallis Youth Symphony of Corvallis, Ore. Diaz's tenure as conductor will start on June 1, 2013. As part of his duties for the CYS, Diaz will rehearse the student musicians weekly, and will conduct two formal concerts annually, as well as the organization's Classical Cabaret each March.

At the University of Oregon, Diaz teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music education, psychology of music, and music research. His research has been featured in numerous journals. In February 2013, Diaz's research on musicians' mindfulness meditation enjoyed nationwide exposure."I am looking forward to returning to my roots as an orchestral conductor and to working with talented and motivated high school students," said Diaz. "The organization is top-notch and I am honored to have been selected as their next conductor.