Meet Miguel Harth-Bedoya | Orchestra Conductor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miguel Harth-Bedoya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miguel, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My “business” has always been my passion: music, and how I can channel it as an orchestra conductor. What I do as a conductor is not all what the audience sees. Just like an athlete, the audience only sees when we “compete”, which for us is when we perform. The hours of study and training are invisible to others. My thought process getting started was to be always excellent at what I do, be a unique conductor, and perform unique programs so that I could stand out. This lead me to be Music Director of professional orchestras around the globe: in the US, in Peru, in New Zealand, and in Norway. I have been conducting professionally for over 35 years, and I continue to have a global understanding of different cultures and societies, which also makes me stand out from other conductors.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of the things I do every day is thank God for the gift of music and for giving me the chance to live my life as a musician. This alone is very exciting. This excitement triggers my desire to work hard to excel in what I do. I don’t intend to be a perfect musician, but to be my best every time I am on the podium in front of an orchestra, or when I am teaching my conducting students. I got to where I am today because of the help of one man: Otto-Werner Mueller, who was my conducting teacher at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and at The Juilliard School in New York. I came to the US from Peru, when I was 19 years old. Peru didn’t have a school that taught conducting, so, if it hadn’t been for Mr. Mueller, who gave me the chance to study this amazing profession, I wouldn’t be where I am now, much less, I would not have become a conductor. It was not easy, particularly because I didn’t speak much English, and there was a lot that I had to catch up in terms of music studies. The lessons I have learned along the way is that talent is a very small percentage of our success, both as student and as a professional. Hard and steady work with lots of patience will get you far and close to your goals and dreams. What I want the world to know about me, is that my profession as a conductor is never about me. It’s always about serving the music, the musicians, and the audience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I take all my guests to hear the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Hall, one of the top performance venues in the country. I also include other top-notch cultural attractions, like our museums, and the first I visit is my favorite: the Amon Carter Museum. I won’t do all other museums back to back. We’ll go into other activities before visiting the Kimbell and the Modern. The Japanese Gardens at the Botanical Gardens is a wonderful place to relax before hitting the Stockyards. Walking up and down Magnolia Avenue is a great way to hit some of my favorite spots: Avoca Coffee, Lili’s Bistro, and Melt ice cream. Another nice low key that serves home-like food is Local Foods Kitchen, just off Hulen. If time permits, I take my guests down to Waco to visit Baylor University campus, where I teach, and Magnolia, the home of the Fixer Upper.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A shoutout to my best friend and wife, Maritza Cáceres, who continues to support and help me in my growth as an artist and as human being!

Website: www.miguelharth-bedoya.com

Instagram: @miguelharthbedoya

Linkedin: Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Facebook: Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Youtube: Miguel Harth-Bedoya

Other: www.conductinginstitute.org https://music.baylor.edu/miguelharth-bedoya

Image Credits
Michal Novak