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Ballet West has a new maestro, and it's someone the Salt Lake City-based dance troupe has worked with before.

Tara Simoncic has been named music director of Ballet West, the group announced today. Simoncic conducted the music for Ballet West's production of "Swan Lake" last February, and has worked on past BW productions of "Sleeping Beauty," "The Lottery," "The Rite of Spring," "Bolero" and "The Nutcracker."

Simoncic also has conducted for the Piccolo Festival del Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy), the Slovenian National Opera Ballet Theatre and the Macedonian Opera Ballet Theatre. She has been the longstanding conductor of "The Nutcracker" for Louisville Ballet, and is associate conductor of the Greenwich Symphony in Connecticut.

"Over the past several years I have brought Tara in for a number of projects and her musicianship, energy and commitment have galvanized our wonderful Ballet West Orchestra," Adam Sklute, Ballet West's artistic director, said in a statement.

"I am thrilled to be appointed Music Director at Ballet West, one of the most exciting and important ballet companies in America," Simoncic said in a statement.

Simoncic's interest in music started when she was 6, when she started studying trumpet. She holds a bachelor's degree in music (in trumpet performance) from the New England Conservatory, a master's degree in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University, and a professional studies diploma in orchestral conducting from the Manhattan School of Music.