While at New England Conservatory, Battisti expanded his educational philosophy to
meet the developmental needs of the finest student musicians by putting his aesthetic
development on display to the world. He utilized works from the 16th
to 20th
century to create
programs he felt to be of "high artistic quality, and appropriate for the musical maturity and
technical skills of the players in the ensemble as well as the audience for which they will be performed."
3 In the audience, Battisti placed music critics to comment on his musical
development and took an incredible risk because he had to withstand scrutiny uncommon for
wind band conductors. As a result, he and his students were able to revolutionize one critic's
concept of the wind band. Achievements such as these opened the door for an entire
generation of wind band directors to explore contemporary literature and engage in aesthetic
development with the greater musical community