Marc-André Bougie
MUSIC DIRECTOR

A native of Montreal, Marc-Andre first studied piano at the College of St. Laurent.  He subsequently completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Montreal and was admitted to the University of Missouri for his Master's in Orchestra Conducting under Maestro Edward Dolbashian.  As a conductor, Marc-Andre founded and directed the Orchestre des Sources, a chamber orchestra with which he recorded a CD, Orchestre des Sources: Musique pour cordes, and the music for the short-movie L'embellie.  In Missouri, he conducted the University Philharmonic, the Contemporary Chamber Players, the University Singers, the Columbia Youth Orchestra, and the Show-Me Opera Studio.  Arriving in Shreveport in September 2001 he held a four-year tenure with the Shreveport Opera as Education Director, Chorus Master, and Assistant-Conductor, making his professional conducting debut with the Shreveport Symphony in January 2004.  He also worked with the Sacred Heart Choir of Texarkana, St. Pius X Choir of Shreveport, the St. John-Berchmans Cathedral Choir, and the St. Cecilia Choral Society.  Also active as a composer, he won the 2001 MTNA National Composition Competition with his piece String-Quartet.

Marc-Andre is currently Music Director for the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, the Texarkana Regional Chorale and the Shreveport Chorale, and full-time faculty at Texarkana College.  Recent engagements have included various concerts with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of North Louisiana, European conducting debut in April 2010, Carnegie Hall conducting debut in June, 2010, and countless concerts with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, of which he is the founding Music Director.  Marc was also awarded TRAHC's 2007 Arts Champion Award, and the Arkansas Arts Council has added him to the Arts in Education Roster of Artists for the third year in a row.

Marc-André Bougie is married to soprano Candace Taylor, with whom he collaborates as pianist and conductor in recitals.  They are proud parents of Miriam Taylor Bougie.

R. Andrew Clark
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and raised in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri, Andrew joined the TSO as Executive Director on April 15, 2008. Prior to this he was, for over 12 years, a church musician in Los Colinas, TX; Texarkana, AR; and Dalton, GA.  Mr. Clark currently serves the wider field of American orchestras by representing smaller budget orchestras throughout the country on the League of American Orchestras’ Board of Directors. Andrew holds the Bachelor of Music degree from Ouachita Baptist University and the Master of Arts in Music degree from the University of North Texas. His graduate research interest was in the area of late 19th and early 20th century American community music societies and that research was completed at Yale University.  Andrew’s organ teachers have included Gail Robins, Russell Hodges, and Al Travis; he has studied piano with Sue Hansen, Janine Tiner and David Allen Wehr.  In the summer of 2002, Mr. Clark received a certificate of conducting studies, following post-graduate work with James Jordan at Westminster Choir College, in Princeton, New Jersey.  He is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Texarkana.  In addition to his duties with the TSO Andrew is the parish musician at St. James Church in Texarkana, and on the adjunct faculty of Texas A&M Texarkana.

Steven M. Bennett
YOUTH SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR

Mr. Bennett received his Music Education degree from Harding University and continued his education at the University of Central Arkansas where he studied trombone with Dr. Dennis Winter and completed his Masters Degree in Instrumental Conducting. During that time, Mr. Bennett was a member of the University Symphony Orchestra and Conway Civic Orchestra. After completing his degree, he taught for five years in Alabama before moving to Texarkana to his current position with the Texarkana Independent School District.
He is currently the adjunct instructor of instrumental brass studies at Texarkana College and is also the Assistant Director of Bands at Texas High School and the band director for the Red Lick Independent School District. Mr. Bennett is a member of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra.
He is married to Laura Bennett, also a member of the TSO, and they have four wonderful children.