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Department of Music Faculty

Howard Hsu

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music (Conducting)
Associate Conductor, Symphony Orchestra

Howard.Hsu@uconn.edu

Howard HsuHoward Hsu made his debut with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) as guest conductor of concerts featuring the world-renowned Empire Brass. As guest conductor, narrator and co-writer of the HSO's "Symphony in the Schools" Fleet Chamber Orchestra Series, he led an interactive program that brought classical music to thousands of children throughout the Hartford Public School system. In 2008–09, he will be a guest conductor with the Valdosta (Georgia) Symphony Orchestra and conduct the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Central District Senior High School Festival Orchestra. Hsu has served as visiting instructor of music and director of the orchestra at Connecticut College, cover conductor with the Westchester (New York) Philharmonic, and has been a regular guest conductor with the Bronx (New York) Arts Ensemble, which he conducted in the world premiere of Eleanor Cory's O'Keeffe's Flora. He was guest conductor with the New Britain (Connecticut) Symphony and Ottumwa (Iowa) Symphony, and was music director of the Noe Chamber Symphony, performing the chamber arrangement of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde to benefit the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Hsu has worked closely with groups dedicated to training young musicians, including the Lake George (New York) Opera Festival, where he served as associate conductor and music director of the apprentice opera scenes concerts. He has served as assistant conductor of the University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Greater Waterbury (Connecticut) Youth Symphony and Symphony Conductor of the Greater Bridgeport (Connecticut) Youth Orchestras. Through the Hartford Symphony's mentoring program he served as a master teaching artist and was a faculty member with the Harlem (New York) School of the Arts.

Hsu has conducted in master classes with Gerard Schwarz, Zdenek Macal, Yoel Levi, Larry Rachleff, Thomas Wilkins, Edward Cumming, Alasdair Neale, Barbara Yahr, Lawrence Leighton Smith, and Samuel Jones. Hsu received his master of music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and his bachelor of science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Connecticut, where he has studied with Peter Sacco and Jeffrey Renshaw.