Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 1983 with a master's degree in piano performance, Richard Bado has put his musical talent and versatility to excellent use - distinguishing himself as a respected conductor, pianist, music director, and educator.
Mr. Bado made his professional conducting debut in 1989, leading the Houston Grand Opera's acclaimed production of Show Boat at the newly restored Cairo Opera House in Egypt. He has conducted productions of Porgy and Bess at Teatro alla Scala, the Opéra National de Paris, the New York City Opera, and elsewhere, and has conducted the Robert Wilson production of Virgil Thomson's Four Saints in Three Acts at the Edinburgh Festival. He also has conducted many productions at the Houston Grand Opera, including Aida, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, The Magic Flute, and Carlisle Floyd's Susannah. This past season, Mr. Bado made his conducting debut with the Houston Ballet as well.
In addition to his studies at Eastman and West Virginia University, Mr. Bado studied advanced choral conducting with the late Robert Shaw. This prepared him well for his current position as Houston Grand Opera's head of the music staff and chorus master. In this role, Mr. Bado has prepared choruses for more than 80 productions, including the Decca video recording of La Cenerentola with Cecilia Bartoli. He also serves as the music director for the Houston Grand Opera Studio, the opera's premier young artist training program. He has worked on the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Theater of St Louis, Chautauqua Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera, and served for six years as an artist-teacher at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. An active educator, he currently teaches at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
As a pianist, Mr. Bado has appeared in recital with many of today's leading singers, including his Eastman classmate Renée Fleming, whom he accompanied just months ago in recital here in Eastman Theatre. "Altogether a dream of an accompanist.who meshed beautifully with Fleming," wrote the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle of his performance. Mr. Bado also has accompanied Cecilia Bartoli, Ramon Vargas, and Marcello Giordani in recital.
For
his outstanding contributions to music since his own graduation from this
School, the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester salutes
Richard Bado and proudly honors him with its Alumni Achievement Award.
Rochester,
New York
May
14, 2000