RESUME

2010 – Music Director, La Crosse Symphony Orchestra
Responsible for directing all musical activities of one of Wisconsin’s most established regional orchestras, conducting all classical, pops, and young people’s programs per season and being actively involved in the LSO’s education, fund-raising and outreach activities. Recent achievements include the raising of $1.4 million in Endowment funds, a new collaboration with the La Crosse Area Youth Symphony Orchestra, and full sponsorship of all mainstage performances. As of the 2023-24, 125th Anniversary season, for the first time in his history, the LSO will expand to a season of nine programs a year, fully joining the ranks of the Upper Midwest’s regional professional orchestras. A highlight of the season will be the world premiere of Madrigal Divine, the orchestration of several of the solo piano works of the neglected African-American composer Nathaniel Dett, by the distinguished contemporary Black composer, Jonathan Bailey Holland.

1997 – Music Director, The Wisconsin Philharmonic
Artistic director and conductor of one of Wisconsin’s most distinguished orchestras (previous music directors include the great conductor-pedagogue Otto-Werner Mueller), operating for 63 years as the Waukesha Symphony and now having transformed itself into The Wisconsin Philharmonic, effective Spring 2010. Activities include a full range of symphonic, pops, choral, chamber-orchestra and educational performances, in a wide range of venues and schools throughout Waukesha County. Also involved extensively in fund-raising, outreach, and board-development activities for the institution. Along with maintaining the orchestra’s historically high level of performance, recent achievements include an anonymous gift of $500,000 to the organization, as well as a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

2002 – Music Director, The Maverick Concerts, Inc., Woodstock, New York
Responsible for the musical direction and artistic administration of the oldest summer chamber music festival in the United States, including the contracting and presenting of major chamber music ensembles and the conducting of chamber orchestra performances. In recent years, the Maverick has not only expanded its season to eleven weeks of classical, folk, jazz and world-music offerings, but has also been the recipient of major grants from The Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors/New York State Music Fund, New York State Council on the Arts, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and consistently annual grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. In summer 2023, under a grant from the NEA, the Maverick will celebrate Latin-American traditions in Classical music and Jazz, following summer 2022’s focus on Black creativity in those realms.

2019 – Music Director, Waukegan Symphony Orchestra
Leading one of Northern Illinois' long-established community orchestras, in rehearsal, outreach, and six classical, pops and educational programs per year.

2015 –22 Curator of Concerts, Museum of Contemporary Art Westport, Westport, Conn.
Responsible for curating, contracting, and hosting six performances of classical and Jazz artists per season, at the leading arts organization in one of the East Coast’s most historic cultural communities, with performances by many of the leading names in both traditions (the Bill Charlap Trio; the Fred Hersch Trio; Kenny Barron, Eliot Fisk; the Danish, Escher, and Juilliard String Quartets, etc.). Working with the MoCA staff, successfully converted to an acclaimed outdoor concert series. Oversaw the purchase and restoration of a vintage Hamburg “D” Steinway grand piano, for permanent residence at the MoCA campus, and participated in the revival of the hitherto-dormant Heida Hermanns International Competition for young artists.

2016-19 – Live Webcast Host, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Served as an occasional commentator and host for the award-winning worldwide webcast concert presentations on dso.org, including the complete French Music Festival in winter 2018 with Detroit Symphony Orchestra Music Director Leonard Slatkin.

2001-12 – Resident Conductor and Music Advisor, Chicago Opera Theater
Responsibilities include assisting in artistic planning, casting, fund-raising, and outreach activities, and serving as chief conductor for one mainstage operatic production each season. Mainstage performances have included DON GIOVANNI, THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA, and the critically acclaimed Chicago premieres of DEATH IN VENICE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and John Adams’ NIXON IN CHINA (in the presence of the composer). Outreach/education operas have included the world premieres of the Tony Kushner/Maurice Sendak version of BRUNDIBAR and my own adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s IOLANTA, with a broad spectrum of children from Chicago public and private schools.

2010 – 15 Music Director, Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra
Was responsible for overseeing the musical activities of the oldest orchestra in North Dakota, which recently celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary. Achievements included the raising of the largest single gift in the Orchestra’s history, creating more collaboration between the GGFSO and the University of North Dakota music department, and of leading the complete renewal of the GGFSO’s once-dormant auxiliary organization, the Symphony Guild, now the Orchestra’s major fund-raising entity.

2007-10 – Principal Conductor and Music Advisor, Boca Raton Symphonia
Duties included outreach, fund-raising, programming, and conducting most of both the subscription and young people’s concerts of what has emerged in critical opinion to be the finest of the orchestras to have grown out of the now-defunct Florida Philharmonic.

1996 – 2017 – Music Director/Conductor, Marion (Indiana) Philharmonic
Music Director and Conductor of one of the state’s professional orchestras, in classical, pops, and educational concerts. The Orchestra has persisted at its usual level of concert-giving despite the considerable recent economic hardship in the area, with the assistance of expanded giving from area foundations as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

1993-2005 – Music Director/Conductor, Racine Symphony Orchestra/Racine Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Music Director and Conductor of the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra in Wisconsin, a metropolitan orchestra comprised of professionals and amateurs which, under my leadership, gave 15-20 concerts a season. With the growth of the orchestra’s classical, chamber orchestra, Lakeside Pops, educational and run-out concerts, the RSO nearly doubled the number of its performances during this period. Duties included conducting all of these concerts, as well as directing significant administrative, outreach, educational and developmental activities in the Racine community. Since assuming the position, I returned the RSO to financial profitability—overseeing the institution of a planned giving program and an over 500% increase in annual giving—but also greatly expanded its artistic and educational activities. Accomplishments during this period included the establishment of a new 3rd Grade Concert Series, and of a Private Lesson Scholarship Fund for needy students.

1995-99 – Music Director, Plymouth Chorale and Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee
Activities included a complete cycle of the late Haydn Masses.

1991-93 – Apprentice Conductor, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, and the University of Minnesota School of Music.
Conducted the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on subscription, pops, young peoples, and outreach performances, and served as musical assistant to Edo de Waart, Hugh Wolff, Christopher Hogwood and Roger Norrington. Served as Assistant Conductor for Colin Graham’s production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY at the Minnesota Opera, conducting four mainstage performances; worked on outreach projects with various staff and board members; assisted on recording projects (SPCO/Decca, Minnesota Public Radio). Under the tutelage of Murry Sidlin, conducted the University of Minnesota Orchestra regularly.

1991-94 – Staff Conductor, University of Minnesota Opera Theater
Served as Conductor for the company’s productions of IDOMENEO and Britten’s version of THE BEGGAR’S OPERA, and served as assistant conductor for their productions of XERXES, ALBERT HERRING, L’HEURE ESPANGOLE, and THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO.

1989-91 – Assistant Conductor, Cambridge University Musical Society
As the first American to hold the post (one previously held by Elder, Gardiner, Atherton, Andrew Davis, etc.), conducted various orchestral performances and served as assistant to Stephen Cleobury.

1989-91 – Conductor, Cambridge University Opera Society
Working with young British singers as well as professionals from the New York City and English National Operas, led staged revivals of MANFRED (Schumann/Byron), BEATRICE AND BENEDICT (Berlioz), and OWEN WINGRAVE (Britten), winning high praise in the London press.

1986-88 – Resident Conductor, Yale Center for British Art
Activities included the U.S. premieres of two works of Benjamin Britten, “a stunning performance” (New Haven Register) of Walton’s FACADE with members of the Yale Repertory Theater and the Metropolitan Opera, and a production of THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA with members of the New York City Opera. Also, very active in fund-raising and general administration for these activities.

1984-88 – Music Director, Berkeley Chamber Players and Berkeley Singers, Berkeley College, Yale University
Responsible for all musical, administrative, and considerable fund-raising activities for the most highly regarded of Yale’s college musical societies.