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