Directors Bio

Anthony J. Svejda (B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996; M.M., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000) is in his tenth year as director of bands for Oak Park and River Forest High School, coming to Oak Park after six years at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, one year at Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois, and one year at Hadley and Schilling Elementary in Homer Township, Illinois. Mr. Svejda is a member of the Music Educators' National Conference and has formerly been a member of the National Association for Saxophone Alliance. He has performed as principal Alto Saxophonist with the Chicago Civic Orchestra for the 1998-1999 season and won a position with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. in December 1998. Over the past 10 years, he has been invited to guest direct various IMEA jazz bands throughout the state of Illinois. As director of bands, Mr. Svejda directs Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band II, Pep Band, and the Marching Huskies.

In addition to his extensive work as a music educator and performer, over the past three years Anthony, alongside his cousin Marc Stout, have gained the electronic dance music world's attention. They are signed with Primary Wave, one of the largest music agencies in New York. Artists affiliated with this agency include legends like Chicago, Def Leppard, & Kurt Cobain, as well as well-known artists like Ceelo Green, and 50 Cent. As a remix artist/producer Anthony has arranged numerous tracks by artists including Taio Cruz, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, J Lo and many more. All of the remixes have been heard over radio world-wide. Most of these tracks can be purchased and/or downloaded on iTunes. You can also find most of tracks on YouTube, soundcloud, Amazon, and searching online under his name and Paperchaser.  

Patrick A. Pearson (B.A., Bowling Green State University, 1989; M.A., VanderCook College of Music, 2003) began his tenure at Oak Park and River Forest High School in 2003, where he currently conducts three orchestras and teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory. He also assists with the marching band.

In addition OPRFHS, he is on the faculty of Midwest Young Artists (full-curriculum pre-college music school) in where he currently conducts the Cadet, Concertino and Philharmonia Orchestras. Before teaching at OPRFHS, he taught nine years at Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Illinois, two years at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and three years at Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida. During his tenure at East Lake, Mr. Pearson was named Teacher of the Year for 1992-1993. In his 25 years of teaching, Mr. Pearson has toured with his orchestras on several international tours to destinations including Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Mexico, China, and South Korea.

Mr. Pearson is active as a guest conductor of many string and orchestra festivals in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana and is a member of the Illinois Music Educators' Association (MENC), the American String Teachers' Association, Phi Mu Alpha, and Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity. Mr. Pearson also serves as the Assistant Director of Music at Shiloh Baptist Church in Waukegan, Illinois and resides in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Meredith McGuire received a bachelor's degree in music education from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree and Kodaly Certification from Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Having previously taught in the Bremen and Oak Lawn Community High School Districts, she has served as the choir director at Oak Park & River Forest High School since 2015. Meredith teaches four curricular choirs, oversees four vocal jazz ensembles and six student-run a cappella groups. She is vocal music director for all musical productions and serves as instrumental and vocal music director for the summer musical productions. As a performer, she has sung with the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble, the Moraine Valley Community College Jazz Band and the Chicago Symphony Chorus to name a few. She is a founding member of An Octave Above, a Chicago-based a cappella vocal jazz ensemble, which whom she performs regularly. As a clinician she has worked with a number of area high school and middle school choral and vocal jazz ensembles and has served as guest conductor for various choral and vocal jazz festivals as well. She has presented sessions on choral education at music educator conferences in both Illinois and South Dakota.

Michelle DePasquale Bayer has taught theatre and biology at Oak Park and River Forest High School for 24 years and currently serves as the Director of Theatre and Chair of the Performing Arts Department. Prior to this, Michelle taught at Morton East High School where she directed a violence prevention theatre troupe. Michelle majored in Musical Theatre at Millikin University and received her teaching degree in Speech/Theatre, English and Biology from Elmhurst College. She holds a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University. She has been directing and acting professionally for over 20 years in the Chicagoland Area. She is also a great supporter of community theatre with her onstage involvement in HOTT (Helping Others through Theatre) Productions and Harper College Theatre Ensemble. Michelle also has a passion for music and has been a member of several community choral ensembles including The Chicago Artists Chorale and The Noteables. Some of her directing credits at Oak Park and River Forest High School have been: Hairspray, Chicago, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Mary Poppins, Into the Woods, Anything Goes, The Diary of Anne Frank, Clybourne Park and Godspell. In 2013 she received the outstanding faculty award given by the Oak Park and River Forest Huskie Booster Club. In 2016 the production of Little Shop of Horrors that Michelle directed was selected to be performed at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. This past year, Michelle was nominated as best director of a musical for the Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards. Michelle is a member of the Illinois Theatre Association and The Educational Theatre Association. She currently serves on the Illinois High School Theatre Festival Executive Board. Michelle strives to create a professional environment for theatre students to realize their own artistic talent and push themselves to tell the story and be connected to the character.