GARY THOR WEDOW

Conductor Gary Thor Wedow has established an enviable reputation for dramatically exciting and historically informed performances with orchestras, opera companies and festivals throughout North America; he debuted with the New York Philharmonic in 2012 conducting Messiah and returns this season again conducting Handel’s masterpiece.   A frequent guest of Seattle Opera, some of his recent successes there include the double bill of Poulenc’s La voix humaine and Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Gluck’s Orphée, Iphigénie en Tauride and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; this season he leads their performances of Don Giovanni and Handel’s Semele.    His 2014-2015 season also includes Messiah with the Santa Fe Symphony and Le nozze di Figaro for the Juilliard School directed by Stephen Wadsworth. Mr. Wedow was closely associated with New York City Opera for many years where he led their Don Giovanni in the groundbreaking Christopher Alden production and in May 2012 conducted the New York premiere of Telemann’s Orpheus. Last season included The Magic Flute with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Messiah for the Seattle Symphony, Don Pasquale for Arizona Opera, Abduction from the Seraglio for Utah Opera and the St. Matthew Passion on tour with the Juilliard 415 Historical Performance Ensemble culminating in a performance in Alice Tully Hall that ‘caught fire and magic’.  Born in LaPorte, Indiana, Wedow studied with virtuoso Jorge Bolet; he has prepared several performing editions of baroque works in collaboration with countertenor Lawrence Lipnik and is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School.