Baylor School of Music Welcomes Eminent Conductor Harth-Bedoya
https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=226581
Feb. 15, 2022
Baylor Conductor-in-Residence Stephen Heyde announces his retirement; School of Music names Miguel Harth-Bedoya as successor in director of orchestral studies position
WACO, Texas (Feb. 15, 2022) – Stephen Heyde, M.F.A., The Mary Franks Thompson Professor of Orchestral Studies and Conductor-in-Residence, has announced his retirement effective in May after leading the orchestral program at the Baylor University School of Music since 1984. Heyde also has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Waco Symphony since 1987.
“Stephen Heyde’s dedication to the students and relentless drive to improve the quality and reach of the orchestra was inspiring to witness,” said Gary Mortenson, D.M.A., dean of the Baylor School of Music. “Of the many Baylor Symphony performances I attended, the orchestra’s performance of Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, Opus 29 The Inextinguishable my first year as dean, and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 Resurrection, the last orchestra concert I attended with my father prior to his passing, are in my ‘mind’s ear’ forever.”
In 2020, the Baylor Symphony Orchestra under Heyde’s direction was named winner of the coveted American Prize in Orchestral Performance for an unprecedented fifth time in the past six years. That same year, Heyde received the nationally acclaimed Arlin G. Meyer Prize in Music Performance from the Lilly Fellows Program for a performance of the Mahler Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” with the Baylor Symphony, Combined Choirs and faculty soloists. Additionally, Heyde is a recipient of Outstanding Teaching Awards at West Virginia University and Baylor University.
Under Heyde’s direction, the Baylor Symphony has toured internationally in Costa Rica and Belgium while also performing eight times at the Texas Music Educators Clinic/Convention and appearing at the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Festival and at national conferences of the American String Teachers Association and the College Orchestra Directors Association. With other ensembles in the School of Music, the Baylor Symphony was featured in the nationally televised PBS special “Christmas at Baylor,” watched by an estimated audience of more than 6 million viewers, and in recent years with multiple award-winning regional broadcasts of “A Baylor Christmas” produced by KWTX Television that aired on Gray Television stations throughout the country.
The Baylor School of Music will celebrate Heyde’s exceptional career over the course of the spring semester as he concludes his time at Baylor. In fall 2022, eminent conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya will succeed Heyde, assuming his role as leader of the School of Music’s orchestral program.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to lead the Baylor Orchestral program and work with the thousands of exceptional student artists who have participated in the joyful performances of the great orchestral repertoire,” Heyde said. “I have deeply appreciated the strong support of the Mary Franks Thompson family, generous donors and the faculty and administration working with me to create a quality program that sought to reflect both the excellence and Christian mission of the University. I am ecstatic that the work will continue under the exceptional leadership of Maestro Harth-Bedoya who is recognized internationally for his conducting excellence and musical artistry but also for his integrity and heart for teaching.”
Harth-Bedoya will join the School of Music as The Mary Franks Thompson Professor of Orchestral Studies with more than 30 years of professional conducting experience at the highest levels. He most recently held the title of director of orchestral studies at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, where he created a new undergraduate program in orchestral conducting as well as The Conducting Institute, a summer and winter orchestral conducting program in Fort Worth that includes a variety of online courses.
“Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s vast experience conducting orchestras all over the United States and internationally gives him perspectives that will benefit our students as they learn from his dedication to music,” Mortenson said. “His driving passion is to educate the next generation of orchestral performers and conductors to enter the world fully prepared to serve and enhance the music of the past as well as music being written today.”
Harth-Bedoya has amassed considerable experience at the helm of orchestras, including recently completing tenures as chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra — a post he held for seven seasons — and 20 seasons as music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, where he now holds the title of music director laureate and will conduct regularly. Previously, he has held music director positions with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand and Eugene Symphony in Oregon.
Born and raised in Peru, Harth-Bedoya received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, both under the guidance of Otto-Werner Mueller. He also studied with Seiji Ozawa and Gustav Meier at Tanglewood.
“I am truly honored and very excited to join the Baylor faculty and have a deep commitment to and passion for teaching the next generation of musicians,” Harth Bedoya said.
The Baylor Symphony Orchestra is Baylor’s flagship orchestra, dedicated to the quality performance of the orchestral repertoire and to the professional and artistic growth of its members. Initiated in 1946, the Baylor Symphony has had only two permanent conductors as founding director Daniel Sternberg passed the baton to Heyde in 1984. In a typical semester, nearly 100 Baylor students, hailing from more than two dozen states and several foreign countries, perform in the ensemble.
June 29, 2020: Miguel Harth-Bedoya appears on "Something Good" segment on NBC Dallas/Fort Worth
Miguel Harth-Bedoya Joins University of Nebraska, Omaha School of Music
Beginning in August 2020, Miguel Harth-Bedoya will be the new Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
In this position he will be in charge of expanding and directing the orchestral program in the School of Music at the Strauss Performing Arts Center. He will also be working to create a brand new Bachelor of Music program in orchestra conducting.
For more information: https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2020/04/world-renowned-maestro-joins-school-of-music.php
Beethoven the Symphonist - Free Live Online Seminar
Dear fellow colleagues, students, and friends,
In the spirit of making social distancing more bearable and celebrating Beethoven at 250, I would like to offer a FREE online seminar on “Beethoven the Symphonist,” in partnership with the Summer Orchestral Conducting Institute (SOCI), and Caminos del Inka, Inc.
This will be a 75-minute session via Zoom, followed by Q&A
Available dates:
Thursday, March 26 at noon US CST
Friday, March 27 at noon US CST
To apply, please submit a one page CV, and make sure to include your date of birth, email address, and a brief note on what you would like to learn from this seminar. Also include date preference(s). Please email this to info@caminosdelinka.org.
Applications will be accepted until quota is full.
In lieu of a fee, I am asking participants to consider making a small contribution ($5, $10, $20) towards the SOCI scholarship fund.
Looking forward to working with you,
Miguel Harth-Bedoya
New Recording Released: Ginastera Harp Concerto
On October 14, 2019, the Norwegian label LAWO Classics releases an album highlighting two masterworks by the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera (1916–83): his Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, op. 25, and his Variaciones concertantes, op. 23, performed by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) under its chief conductor, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and featuring its principal harpist, Sidsel Walstad [LWC 1182].
Fundamentals of Orchestral Conducting Workshop scheduled for June 24-28, 2019 in Fort Worth
Miguel Harth-Bedoya will direct and teach a Fundamentals of Orchestral Conducting Workshop in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 24-28, 2019.
Ensemble: Workshop Lab Orchestra and Ensembles made up of members of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and advanced students
Application deadline: April 12, 2019 by 5:00 pm Central Standard Time
Acceptances announced: April 19, 2019
For PDF containing details and application information, CLICK HERE.
Recording of Prokofiev Piano Concertos on Harmonia Mundi label to be released February 2019
On February 15, 2019 Harmonia Mundi will release the long-awaited second volume of Prokofiev Piano Concertos featuring 2013 Cliburn Gold Medalist pianist Vadym Kholodenko and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra led by music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya. The recording will include Prokofiev Piano Concertos 1, 3 & 4. The first volume, released in 2016, received accolades with Patrick Rucker writing in Gramophone, “…The fresh robust sound of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under Miguel Harth-Bedoya, beautifully recorded here, is ravishing throughout…Kholodenko and Harth-Bedoya can hardly be beaten…”
Miguel Harth-Bedoya to step in as Guest Conductor with the North Carolina Symphony
Miguel Harth-Bedoya is pleased to step in as guest conductor for three performances with the North Carolina Symphony on November 15, 16, & 17, 2018. In addition to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique” and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Harth-Bedoya will lead pianist Michelle Cann in performances of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto, a work infused with the influence of her African American roots. A musical pioneer, Price was one of the first African-American students to graduate from the New England Conservatory of Music, the first African-American woman to have a symphonic work performed by a major American orchestra, and the first winner of the composition contest sponsored by the progressive Wanamaker Foundation.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya to step in as Guest Conductor for Four Concerts with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
On November 1 – 4, Miguel Harth-Bedoya will step in for four performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, replacing David Zinman who has been sidelined with a minor back injury. The performances, which are scheduled for Thursday, November 1, at 7:30; Friday, November 2, at 7:30; Saturday, November 3, at 7:30; and Sunday, November 4, at 2:30 pm, will include Aaron Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring Suite, Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with guest soloist, Jonathan Biss; and Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya and violinist Augustin Hadelich record Ligeti & Brahms Concertos for Warner
This September, conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Norwegian Radio Symphony (KORK) team up—for a second time— with acclaimed violinist Augustin Hadelich in a new recording on Warner Records of the Ligeti and Brahms Violin Concertos. In 2015, Harth-Bedoya and Hadelich released a critically-acclaimed recording of the Bartok Second Violin Concerto paired with the Mendelssohn.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra present a three-day Bernstein Centennial Festival on August 24-26, 2018.
Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will present a three-day festival celebrating the Bernstein Centennial from August 24-26, 2018. The opening concert includes Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Slava! A Political Overture for Orchestra; and his Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah, with mezzo-soprano soloist Kelley O’ Connor. On Saturday, August 25th the orchestra focuses in on Bernstein’s jazz, film, and Broadway music with performances of Three Episodes from On the Town; Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront; and two works featuring clarinet with guest artist David Shifrin: Sonata for Clarinet and Orchestra and Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs. The final performance, on Sunday, August 26, is devoted to Bernstein’s vocal music and features selections from Candide, Trouble in Tahiti, Arias and Barcarolles; and Chichester Psalms. The program also features the Overture to Candide and Three Dances from Fancy Free. Guest artists include mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, baritone Michael Adams, and the Bernstein Festival Chorus. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.fwsymphony.org/concerts/festival.asp
First 'Fundamentals of Conducting' Workshop a Resounding Success
On June 4-8, 2018, Miguel Harth-Bedoya directed the first "Fundamentals of Conducting" workshop, a three-day seminar which he developed, presented in partnership with The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Texas Christian University. The workshop taught and directed by Harth-Bedoya, included 77 participants (male and female) from North America, as well as two students from Peru and Kazakhstan respectively. Harth-Bedoya’s goal with the Workshop was to recruit and focus on raw talent from high school age onwards, rather than on musicians with previously acquired knowledge. The workshop presented a balance between theory and practice, and consisted of both in-classroom seminars and lab-oriented ensemble sessions. Participants were chosen for individual podium time based on their contributions, class attendance, and overall preparation of the repertoire.
Feedback from the Workshop was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with educators and students commenting:
“The conducting workshop was a unique experience and a wonderful opportunity for so many young musicians to have that kind of exposure.”
“The feeling of being one of many apprentices doing hands-on work with a mentor, like the old Renaissance guild model, set the perfect stage for engagement and learning in the right kind of way.”
I wanted to get back to the fundamentals and find renewed refinement. The workshop certainly did not disappoint. I learned so many things I didn’t expect to learn.”
“The Q&A sessions with you and the orchestra were extremely valuable, and I appreciated very much that your teaching was geared towards serving the music.”
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra released its 13th recording with Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya.
On Friday, May 18, 2018 the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra released its 13th recording with Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya featuring performances of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, in the rarely-performed version arranged by Sergei Gorchakov, and selections from Prokofiev’s beloved Cinderella, Op. 87 [FWSOL5]. The performances were recorded LIVE at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas on April 7-9, 2017 (Cinderella) and February 2-4, 2018 (Pictures at an Exhibition).
The recording has received praise from critics with Rafael de Acha writing, “What does it take to turn a regional American symphony orchestra into a world-class one? To venture an answer would be a fool’s errand, so suffice for us to direct your attention to the live recording of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition here coupled to a handful of selections from Prokofiev’s 1945 Cinderella, and let you be the judge…. The results are splendidly satisfying and, for this listener, this FWSO release is a keeper.” American Record Guide’s Roger Hecht commented, “…The approach is straightforward; it emphasizes weight and drama and commands that you listen...”
LINK TO ALBUM ON DISCOGRAPHY PAGE. Read more about the album: http://www.fwsymphony.org/about/press/releases/2018_05_16_fwso_releases_pictures_at_an_exhibition_cinderella.pdf
Miguel Harth-Bedoya Will Conclude Twenty Years as FWSO Music Director in 2019-2020 Season
FORT WORTH, TX -May 10, 2018 - Miguel Harth-Bedoya announced today that he will conclude his tenure as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in July, 2020, at the culmination of his 20th year as the orchestra’s artistic leader. Following the 2019-2020 season, he will assume the title of Conductor Laureate of the FWSO, and will be returning to conduct in upcoming seasons. “I am so proud of the work the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and I have done together over the last nearly two decades. These 18 years with the FWSO have touched and changed me deeply,” stated FWSO Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya. “Working together with the orchestra toward higher and higher artistic levels - even through the challenges - has been profoundly rewarding. Our musicians’ extraordinary playing constantly inspires me, and because of them I have become a better conductor. Our recent success on an international stage at the Kennedy Center, like our Carnegie Hall performance a decade ago, is a testament to our relevance as an outstanding American orchestra.”
Read the full release here: http://www.fwsymphony.org/about/press/releases/2018_05_10_fwso_miguel_harth-bedoya_conclude_20_years_music_director_in_19-20.pdf