Double Duty for Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's Music Director Raymond Harvey

    KALAMAZOO, MI, June 20, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On the heels of the announcement of his four-year renewal as Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony, Raymond Harvey is adding an additional job to his busy schedule. Maestro Harvey has accepted a position as Associate Professor at the University of Houston in Texas. He will serve as Music Director of the Moores Opera Center in the University's School of Music.

The Moores Opera Center was founded by director Buck Ross in 1986. Through his tireless efforts, the Moores Opera House was built in 1997. This 800-seat opera house is arguably the finest university opera production facility in the country, designed to emulate the acoustic space of an old European opera house while providing the modern equipment demanded in today's world.

Maestro Harvey's duties will include conducting up to four opera productions each year, and giving musical guidance to graduate and undergraduate opera students. This year's productions include The Tales of Hoffmann by Offenbach, L'Elisir d'Amore by Donizetti, and works by Thomas Pasatieri and Daniel Catan.

"Although this will make my life rather busy, I am thrilled to embark on this new adventure," said Raymond Harvey. "I have always loved conducting opera, and now I'll have the best of both worlds: symphony in Kalamazoo and opera in Houston."

Raymond Harvey has appeared as guest conductor with many of America's leading orchestras, including those of Philadelphia, Atlanta, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Detroit, New Orleans and Minnesota, as well as the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts and the Boston Pops. He has also had engagements with the Maggio Musicale Orchestra of Florence, Italy; the Pusan Symphony of South Korea; and the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.

The upcoming season marks Maestro Harvey's 16th anniversary as Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He previously held the top post at the Fresno Philharmonic (California) and the Springfield Symphony (Massachusetts), and for 16 years served as Music Director of the El Paso Opera (Texas).

Raymond Harvey's next appearance in Kalamazoo will be on September 20, 2014 with the opening concert of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's 94th season, featuring works of Ginastera and deFalla.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

About the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra:
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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