Dr. Philip Mann to join UMBC Music Faculty

Hailed by the BBC as a "talent to watch out for, who conveys a mature command of his forces," American conductor Philip Mann has a worldwide reputation as an "expressively graceful yet passionate" artist with a range spanning symphonic repertoire, opera, new music, and experimental collaborations. Elected a Rhodes Scholar, he won the Vienna Philharmonic's Karajan Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival and was named an American Conducting Fellow with the League of American Orchestras. As Music Director of the Arkansas Symphony, his tenure has been described as among the most successful of any American music director in decades, as the state orchestra experienced a complete turnaround under his leadership with unprecedented artistic growth, numerous attendance records, construction of a new home concert hall and 6 others around the state, launches of several groundbreaking and innovative performance series and collaborations, expansion of classical programming weeks and full-time musician positions, the return of fully staged opera to the metropolitan area, all 9 consecutive years in financial surplus, the founding of Arkansas's first collaborative arts festival-ACANSA, and a profile change from a regional orchestra to that of an ensemble garnering international attention and major orchestra comparisons. He currently appears as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. 

Mann's conducting engagements have included major orchestras, operas, and festivals in Europe, USA, and Asia, including ensembles such as l'Orchestre symphonique de Quebec, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic, National Radio Orchestra of Romania, Voronezh Philharmonic, Georgian State Opera, National Symphony of Cyprus, Sofia Philharmonic, Busan Philharmonic, Phoenix Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Symphony in C, the New Mexico Philharmonic, and the Tulsa Symphony. He has worked with leading artists such as Joshua Bell, Sharon Isbin, Susan Graham, Midori, Marvin Hamlisch Dmitri Alexeev, and is highly sought after by composers for major premiers including: John Corigliano, Joan Tower, Jennifer Higdon, Samuel Adler, Michael Torke, Christopher Theofanidis, Elena Katz-Chernin, Michael Fine, DJ Sparr, Adam Schoenberg, and many others. His Brahms collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Norman Krieger on Decca Records has received numerous rave reviews and his recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the works of Michael Fine has garnered extensive praise and been named to major award watchlists. His recent debut on SONY Classics as Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Ensemble Bravura has garnered further critical acclaim-available HERE.

His diverse collaborations with leaders and prominent civil rights advocates like George Takei have also garnered him much praise for leveraging the power of music toward poignant community conversations, enhancing the relevance of symphony orchestras to communities, and successful audience development. Sought after as a mentor and teacher of conducting, his students have earned numerous student gold medal successes at international competitions, significant prizes/awards, appointments to prominent international orchestras, debuts with major orchestras and artists, and appointments to university faculties.