Artistic Staff
Maestro Daniel Hege
Music Director and ConductorJean and Willard Garvey Endowed Chair
The 2012-2013 season marks Daniel Hege's third as Music Director and Conductor of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Hege is just the seventh music director in the Orchestra's 68-year history. He has been widely recognized as one of Americaa's finest young conductors, earning critical acclaim for his fresh interpretations of the standard repertoire and for his commitment to creative programming. Hege was recently appointed as the Stevenson Professor of Practice at Syracuse University.
Following a nationwide search, Mr. Hege was named Music Director of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in April, 1999. In June 2001, he completed a five year tenure with the Baltimore Symphony where he held the titles of Assistant, Associate and Resident Conductor and led the orchestra in subscription, family and run-out concerts. Mr. Hege has also served as Music Director of the Haddonfield (NJ) Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony, Music Director of the Encore Chamber Orchestra in Chicago and Music Director of the Chicago Youth Symphony where he was twice honored by the American Symphony Orchestra League for innovative programming.
Daniel Hege has guest conducted the Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Indianapolis, Oregon, Colorado, San Diego, Columbus and Phoenix symphonies; the Rochester, Buffalo and Calgary Philharmonics; and at the Grand Teton and Aspen Music Festivals. International engagements include leading the Singapore Symphony and the St. Petersburg Symphony at the Winter Nights Festival. In addition, Mr. Hege regularly works with the Syracuse Opera where he has conducted productions of Madame Butterfly, La Traviata, Tosca and Don Pasquale.
In April 2003, Mr. Hege led the Syracuse Symphony in a critically acclaimed concert at a sold-out Carnegie Hall. He has also made two recordings - a disc with the Baltimore Symphony and the Morgan State University Choir featuring works by Adolphus Hailstork and a CD with the Syracuse Symphony with works by Verdi, Barber, Debussy, Respighi and James Johnson.
Recent and upcoming guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Rochester and Orlando Philharmonics, Louisville Orchestra and the Pacific, Grand Rapids, Madison, Tulsa and Santa Rosa symphonies.
Daniel Hege received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1987 from Bethel College, Kansas where he majored in music and history. He continued his studies at the University of Utah, receiving a Master of Music degree in orchestra conducting and also founding the University Chamber Orchestra and serving as Assistant Conductor of the University Orchestra and Music Director of the Utah Singers. He subsequently studied with Paul Vermel at the Aspen Music Festival and in Los Angeles with noted conductor and pedagogue Daniel Lewis.
In May 2004, Mr. Hege was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Le Moyne College in Syracuse for his contributions to the cultural life in central New York State. Born in Colorado, Mr. Hege currently resides in Syracuse with his wife, Katarina Oladottir Hege, a violinist, and their three daughters.
