Roger Melone

Resident Conductor and Chorus Director

Resident Conductor and Chorus Director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra since 1983, Roger Melone has brought national acclaim to the NMSO Chorus.

The NMSO Chorus has performed at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. Mr. Melone led the chorus to triumphant performances first with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006, and then in 2007 and 2008 with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Since joining the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, he has conducted subscription, tour, pops and children's concerts. Roger Melone continues to develop the talents of the NMSO Chorus, whose performances have been described as "stunning" and "riveting" by national critics. The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Chorus 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 prestigious Albuquerque Arts Alliance Bravo Award for excellence in the arts.

Roger Melone joined the NMSO as associate conductor and chorus director, having held similar posts with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. He 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.

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. In March 1997, he 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.

In December 2002, the NMSO released Land of Song, the first CD containing recordings exclusively of the NMSO Chorus under the baton of Roger Melone.

Mr. Melone returns to the orchestra pit to conduct this season's performances of The Nutcracker Ballet.