Love Letter to Oakland
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MICHAEL MORGAN
Michael Morgan (1957 - 2021) was the longtime Conductor and Music Director of the Oakland Symphony, known for his passionate commitment to making classical music accessible to wider audiences. An energetic and charismatic conductor, Morgan was one of few Black and openly gay conductors in the classical world. Born in Washington, D.C., Morgan began playing piano at age 8 and conducting at age 12. He conducted his junior high school orchestra and in high school, the D.C. Youth Orchestra. He studied composition at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was mentored at Tanglewood by Leonard Bernstein, Gunther Schuller, and Seiji Ozawa. In 1980, he won first prize in the Hans Swarovsky International Conductors Competition in Vienna. He was appointed Assistant Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin in 1982 and made his operatic debut at the Vienna State Opera. In 1986, he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In 1991, he became Director and Conductor of the Oakland Symphony, where he remained for 30 years, shaping it into a model for education, collaboration, and community engagement through innovative, inclusive programming that made classical music accessible to new audiences. His concerts explored the intersections of classical music with other genres and cultures, and he worked to expand the historical canon, performing works by female, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized composers. He was devoted to cultivating future musicians, particularly inner-city youth, visiting Oakland public schools and serving as Artistic Director of the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. In addition to the Oakland Symphony, he served as Music Director Emeritus of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Artistic Director of Festival Opera, Music Director of Bear Valley Music Festival and Gateways Music Festival, on the boards of Oaktown Jazz Workshops and the Purple Silk Music Education Foundation, and a guest conductor with most major American orchestras. In 2020, Morgan curated and hosted SF Symphony’s “CURRENTS” video series which explored the varied musical cultures of the Bay Area. In August 2021, Morgan passed away peacefully at age 63 at Oakland Kaiser.
Michael Morgan’s “Currents” presented by SF Symphony | “Death of Tybalt” - Michael Morgan & the Oakland Symphony