Richard McKay

Last fall marked the beginning of Richard McKay’s second season with the University of Texas University Orchestra.  Prior to his becoming a Music Director, he served the University Orchestra as Assistant Conductor for the 2005-2006 season.  He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, with highest honors, from the University of Texas at Austin.  Mr. McKay has conducted numerous performances in and around the School of Music, including University Orchestra concerts, composition recitals, benefit concerts, and a conducting recital.  In 2005 he acted as an Associate Conductor for the Sarah & Ernest Butler Opera Center’s production of Carmen, as well as for the 2006 production of Dialogues of the Carmelites.  In the summer of 2005 and 2006 he was honored to be a participant and performer in the Conductors Retreat at Medomak of Washington, Maine with Kenneth Kiesler.  He participated as an Associate Conductor in the Conductors Institute of South Carolina during the summer of 2006, and was invited to conduct the Mendoza Symphony Orchestra in a series of concerts in conjunction with the International Conductors Institute of Mendoza, Argentina.  Mr. McKay has also guest-conducted the Susquehanna University Orchestra in a series of educational concerts on tour at Hartford, Connecticut.  He has also been an active member of the Conductors Guild, having conducted as a student at Bowling Green State University, Ohio with faculty artists Leonard Slatkin and Gustav Meier.  Mr. McKay has twice served as the conductor for the Campus Opera Society at the University of Texas.  Last fall he began his work toward a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting under the guidance of Gerhardt Zimmermann.  He has also studied conducting privately with David Neely and Glenn Richter.