Orchestral Conducting

DMA

The DMA program in orchestral conducting at Texas Christian University provides exceptional training and a unique variety of podium time to highly qualified students. Conducting opportunities include children, youth, college, community and professional orchestra. Graduate students in Orchestral Conducting serve as assistant conductors of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, TCU Symphony, and conducting fellow of the Fort Worth Symphony.

Only one student will be admitted to the DMA program every other year to assure plenty of podium time. Note: This program will not be accepting students for the 2020-21 academic year. Auditions for the 2022-23 year will occur in February-March 2021

Conducting Opportunities

1) Assistant/cover conductor of all rehearsals of the TCU Symphony.
2) Assistant/cover conductor of the TCU Opera productions
3) Assistant/cover conductor and guest conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Fort Worth.
4) Assistant/cover conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony. (Continuation of this opportunity pending approval of new music director of FWSO in 2020.)

MM

The Master and DMA Program in Orchestral Conducting at Texas Christian University provides exceptional training and a unique variety of podium time to highly qualified students. Conducting opportunities include children, youth, college, community and professional orchestra. Graduate students in Orchestral Conducting serve as assistant conductors of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, TCU Symphony, and conducting fellow of the Fort Worth Symphony.

Conducting Opportunities

Note: This program will not be accepting students for the 2017-18 academic year. Auditions for the 2018-19 year will occur in February-March 2018.

Alumni of the Program

All previous conducting students at TCU have been very successful in their careers and/or doctoral programs in various universities. The quality of the Orchestral Conducting Program in our school continues to receive great recognition and the level of current students is at a prominent standard.

Andres Franco. (2002). Was selected in 2007, by a national search, Assistant Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, he was appointed music director and conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Kansas City. In 2014 he was named Music Director of the Signature Symphony Orchestra of Oklahoma. In August 2015 he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the world renowned Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra.

Fernando Valcarcel (2007). Currently Music Director of the National Symphony of Perú. Fernando was named by “Opera-Perú” Magazzine, Musician of the year 2014, in Lima, Perú. – Alexander Fokkens 1999. Was named music director of the Free State Symphony Orchestra in South Africa. He is also the Opera Choir director of Cape Town.

Felix Torres. (2014) Current a graduate assistant. Felix has been invited to conduct about 30 concerts with the Fort Worth Symphony during his two years as a Masters student in orchestral conducting at TCU.

Esteban Rojas. (2012) Has been named music director at Flower Mound Community Orchestra and Director/Conductor at B Sharp Youth Music Program (Goff Family Foundation)

Andres Felipe Jaime. (2014) Completed his doctoral program in orchestral conducting at Miami University, he is now a fellow assistant of the New World Symphony. Andres conducted various concerts with the Fort Worth Symphony during his time at TCU. Recently he has been invited to conduct the Bogotá Philharmonic and a concert with the Cleveland Symphony (chamber ensemble). He is currently music director of the Antioquia Symphony Orchestra in Medellín, Colombia.

Julián Gomez Giraldo (2000) Was name director of orchestras at Eastern Washington University.

Luis Guillermo Vicaria. (2005) is the Music Director of the Javeriana University Symphony Orchestra in Bogota, Colombia. Has been invited to conduct orchestras in the United States and was a finalist for the Orchestra Conductor position at University of Evansville, Indiana.

Danaila Hristova (2009) was recently invited to conduct a new piece with the Fort Worth Symphony, receiving great comments from music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya and from the composer of the piece.