Alexander Mickelthwate

{{short description|German-born conductor (born 1970)}} '''Alexander Mickelthwate''' (born 2 June 1970 in Frankfurt,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31654494.html | title=Mickelthwate Facts | work=Winnipeg Free Press | date=2006-02-01 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref> West Germany) is a German-born conductor who is the current music director and principal conductor of Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

thumb|Mickelthwate in 2022 at the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center in Oklahoma City.

==Early life and education== He is one of three sons in his family, and studied piano and cello as a youth.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31814369.html | title=A podium, not a {{sic|pedastal|hide=y}} | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2006-09-07 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref> He studied piano performance and conducting in Karlsruhe, Germany, and participated in international conducting courses in Austria and France. He took additional studies at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

==Career== Mickelthwate served as assistant conductor of the Atlanta Symphony through the 2003–2004 season. During his tenure there, he founded the new music ensemble ''Bent Frequency''. From 2004 to 2006, he served as assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He was promoted to associate conductor for the 2006–2007 season and concluded his Los Angeles tenure in August 2007.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32211034.html | title=Balancing enduring, edgy tops Mickelthwate's agenda | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2007-05-03 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref>

In February 2006, Mickelthwate was named the music director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), and took up the post in September 2006, with an initial contract of 3 years.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31654499.html | title=Winnipeg 'lucky to have' new man with baton | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2006-02-02 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31801829.html | title=New WSO music director ready to pick up baton | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2006-09-02 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref> In December 2008, Mickelthwate extended his contract with the orchestra through the 2012 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31654499.html | title=You wanna be a conductor? Learn how to act the part | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2009-01-17 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref> His Winnipeg contract was afterward extended through the 2015–2016 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/wso-in-the-black--for-fifth-year-in-a-row-162452226.html | title=WSO in the black for fifth year in a row | work=Winnipeg Free Press | date=2012-07-14 | access-date=2012-07-15}}</ref> He concluded his Winnipeg tenure at the close of the 2017–2018 season.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/a-bittersweet-note-424221173.html | title=A bittersweet note | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Gordon Sinclair Jr | date=2017-05-24 | access-date=2017-05-25}}</ref>

In November 2016, Mickelthwate first guest-conducted the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. In May 2017, the orchestra named him its next music director, and he became music director beginning with the 2018–2019 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/performance-oklahoma-joel-levine-farewell-concert-okc-philharmonic|title=Performance Oklahoma: Joel Levine Farewell concert--OKC Philharmonic|last=Powell|first=Kimberly|publisher=Public Radio Tulsa|date=November 30, 2018|access-date=February 27, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5613191/interviews-photos-and-video-maestro-joel-levine-prepares-to-conduct-his-delayed-farewell-concert-with-oklahoma-city-philharmonic|title=Maestro Joel Levine prepares to conduct his delayed farewell concert with Oklahoma City Philharmonic|last=McDonnell|first=Brandy|date=October 28, 2018|newspaper=The Oklahoman|access-date=February 27, 2020}}</ref>

In March 2022, Mickelthwate accepted the position as music director of the Bear Valley Music Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bearvalleymusicfestival.org/2022/03/26/maestro-alexander-mickelthwate-post/|title=New Music Director Announced|publisher=Bear Valley Music Festival|date=March 26, 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life== Mickelthwate and the fashion designer Abigail Camp married in 1997, and they have two sons.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32354529.html | title=WSO music director will rest his baton in Osborne Village | work=Winnipeg Free Press | author=Morley Walker | date=2007-09-08 | access-date=2009-02-20}}</ref> Mickelthwate and Camp divorced in 2024.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060510032816/http://www.laphil.com/resources/performer_detail.cfm?id=1788 Biography from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110222071237/http://www.wso.ca/meet-the-symphony/music-director/ Biography from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111646/http://www.opus3artists.com/artists/alexander-mickelthwate Opus3 Artists agency page] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110917002213/http://www.hazardchase.co.uk/artists/alexander_mickelthwate Hazard Chase agency biography of Mickelthwate] * [https://www.bearvalleymusicfestival.org Bear Valley Music Festival]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mickelthwate, Alexander}} Category:Living people Category:1970 births Category:German male conductors (music) Category:21st-century German conductors (music) Category:21st-century German male musicians