Michael Morgan (conductor) facts for kids
Michael DeVard Morgan (born September 17, 1957 – died August 20, 2021) was an amazing American conductor. A conductor is someone who leads an orchestra or choir. He was the music director for the Oakland East Bay Symphony for 30 years. He also led the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and Festival Opera in Walnut Creek.
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Early Life and Learning
Michael Morgan grew up in Washington, D.C.. His father was a biologist, and his mother was a health researcher. Michael started playing the piano when he was 8 years old. By age 12, he was already leading two orchestras! One was at his junior high school, and the other was at his church.
He attended McKinley Technology High School in D.C. There, he was the conductor of the D.C. Youth Orchestra. He later studied at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. He also spent a summer at the Oberlin College Conservatory at Tanglewood. At Tanglewood, he learned from famous musicians like Gunther Schuller and Seiji Ozawa. This is also where he first worked with the legendary Leonard Bernstein.
His Music Career
In 1979, Michael Morgan became an apprentice conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic. An apprentice conductor learns from experienced conductors. In 1980, he won first prize in a big competition in Vienna, Austria. After that, he became the Assistant Conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He worked under Leonard Slatkin there.
His first time leading an opera was in 1982. It was at the Vienna State Opera in Austria. He conducted Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio. In 1986, another famous conductor, Georg Solti, chose him. Michael became the assistant conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He held this important job for five years.
Leading Orchestras
Michael Morgan became the music director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony in 1991. He held this position for a very long time. He also led the Oakland Youth Orchestra. He was the music director for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. Plus, he was the artistic director of Festival Opera in Walnut Creek, California.
He also taught conducting at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 2002 and 2003, he taught at the Tanglewood Music Center. He led workshops across the country to help others learn conducting. He even taught a workshop in Winnipeg, Canada, and visited South America as a guest conductor.
Other Roles
Michael Morgan also directed stage productions. He led Bernstein's Mass for the Oakland East Bay Symphony. He also directed Mozart's Don Giovanni for Festival Opera. He sometimes played the piano as a chamber musician. He performed in Sacramento and the Bay Area.
As a guest conductor, he worked with many major American orchestras. These included the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. He also worked with the New York City Opera and the Washington National Opera. In 2012, he was named music director of the Bear Valley Music Festival.
Awards and Honors
Michael Morgan received many awards for his work. In 2005, the San Francisco Chapter of The Recording Academy honored him. He received the Governors Award for Community Service. This award recognized his positive impact on the community.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) also honored him. He was one of five people to receive a Concert Music Award in 2005. ASCAP also gave the Oakland East Bay Symphony an award in 2006. This was for their "Adventurous Programming," meaning they played interesting and new music. The San Francisco Foundation also gave him a Community Leadership Award. He also received an honorary doctorate from Holy Names University.
Later Life
Michael Morgan lived with his mother and sister. He faced health challenges later in life. He passed away on August 20, 2021, at the age of 63.
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