Elisabeth Heath Charles received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and earned a Master of Music from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, concentrating in conducting and music education. Mrs. Charles continued her education in conducting at the Aspen Music Festival, Aspen, Colorado, where she was a scholarship student of Paul Vermel.  She has also attended numerous conducting seminars throughout the United States

Mrs. Charles is the Music Director and Conductor of the Butler County Symphony Orchestra in Butler, PA.   She has been the conductor for renowned guest artists such as The Four Freshman, The Capitol Quartet, Leon Bates, David Syme, and numerous soloists from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  Mrs. Charles is the Director of Bands at Robert Morris University where she conducts the university jazz ensemble, the marching band, the pep band and several chamber groups.  Additionally, she is an adjunct faculty member in the Mary Pappert School of Music and the McAnulty School of Liberal Arts of Duquesne University.

Previously, she held the post of conductor of the OVations Youth Orchestra of Wheeling, West Virginia.  During the summer of 1997 the orchestra performed by invitation in the Great Hall of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia  as part of the International Youth Musicale.  In the summer of 1999, the orchestra once again received an invitation to the International Youth Musicale held in Vienna, Austria.  The orchestra performed additional concerts in Vienna, Austria, Salzburg, and Fels, Germany.

Active as a clinician and music educator, Ms. Heath has conducted numerous state band and orchestra festivals sponsored by the Music Education National Conference.  She has also been the guest conductor for the Music-fest Midwest in Kansas City, Kansas, the Weekend for Strings of the University of Northern Colorado, the McKeesport Symphony, the Edgewood Symphony, the Westmoreland Youth Symphony, the Three Rivers Youth Orchestras, and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony.

From 2000 to 2004, Mrs. Charles held the position of Musical Director for CALRep, a six week pre-professional musical theatre program held on the campus of California University of Pennsylvania.  Her responsibilities included all vocal direction, orchestra rehearsals, and conducting all performances. She also served as the Musical Director for the Jewish Community Theatre of Squirrel Hill where she conducted several musicals including the Pittsburgh premier of Rags.  Mrs. Charles also worked at Carlow College as the Musical Director for several productions.  Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Mrs. Charles was the first-call woodwind performer in the house orchestra of the Bordeaux Dinner Theatre of Fayetteville, North Carolina where she performed in more than 20 musicals. 

Mrs. Charles resides in Pittsburgh with her husband David and their daughter, Francis.