Tara Cappelletti is the Director of Bands at Glenbard East High School. Her responsibilities at East include directing the Symphonic Band, Intermediate Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Beginning Band & Orchestra, teaching Advanced Placement Music Theory, and co-teaching the Marching Rams. Tara comes to Glenbard East from the Leyden High Schools.

Tara holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Elmhurst College, and a Master of Music in Music Education from Northern Illinois University. While at Elmhurst, she performed with the Elmhurst College Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Classical Guitar Ensemble, Lab Jazz Band, and as a soloist alongside renowned artists including Bobby Shew, Patti Austin, and Doug Beach with the award winning Elmhurst College Jazz Band. At Northern, she served as the Graduate Assistant to the Huskie Marching Band, the principal flutist of the Wind Ensemble, and a member of the University Steel Band Ensemble.

In addition to teaching high school, Ms. Cappelletti has traveled around the country and also to Japan and Australia while working with students at all stages of their musical experience. She has spent significant time teaching in Jamaica, where she served as a conductor in the Western Jamaica International Music Festival. Tara has served on the conducting staff at Elmhurst College, the Advisory Council for the Spirito! Singers, and on the artistic staff of the Illinois Ambassadors of Music and performs with the Chicagoland Educator Orchestra.  In 2014, she was awarded High School Teacher of the Year by the 19th District VFW.

Ms. Cappelletti resides in Oak Park with her husband Zack, and their daughters London and Brooklyn.

08/2022