Roger Melone-New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Director

Roger Melone, Resident Conductor and Chorus Director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, joined the Symphony in 1983.  Previously, he held similar posts with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra.

In 2006 and 2007, Mr. Melone brought national acclaim to the NMSO Chorus at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival as he led the chorus to triumphant performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Rochester Philharmonic.  He will be returning to Vail in 2008 when the Chorus will perform Carmina Burana with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In December 2002, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra released the first solo CD  featuring the NMSO Chorus under the baton of Roger Melone.

The NMSO Chorus, under the direction of Mr. Melone, received the Albuquerque Arts Alliance Bravo Award for Music Excellence for its 1998 performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast.  In 1994 Mr. Melone was awarded the Bravo Award for excellence in the arts.

In March 1997, Mr. Melone conducted the world premiere of Menotti’s Jacob’s Prayer for the feature concerts of the American Choral Director’s National Convention in San Diego.

As a conducting protégé of Victor Alessandro, Mr. Melone demonstrated a special flair for opera.  He has appeared with the opera companies of Detroit, Memphis and Mexico City with great success and critical acclaim.

Mr. Melone enjoys a busy schedule as a guest conductor, making appearances with the orchestras of Austin, Canton (Ohio), Dallas, Chattanooga, Peoria, Savannah, Sacramento, the Lake Forest Symphony in Chicago and Illinois Chamber Symphony.

Roger Melone attended Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he studied with Ronald Shirey.  He then studied with B. R. Henson at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas.  In San Francisco, Mr. Melone studied baroque performance practices and harpsichord with Laurette Goldberg.

Mr. Melone is listed in Who’s Who in American Music as well as the International Who’s Who in Music.