Recognized for
his “musical sensitivity” and “energized sense of interpretation”, conductor
Matthew Kraemer is quickly gaining notice for his inspired performances and
innovative programming. Herman Trotter
of the Buffalo News recently wrote, “He presents a tall, dignified and stately
podium presence with a quite clear beat, a good sense of shaping melodic lines,
and an all business attitude that focused on the music without any
histrionics.” Mr. Kraemer currently
serves as associate conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and in this
role appears on each of the orchestra’s major series, including subscription
weeks, Family, Artpark and summer concerts, in addition to leading the
BPO’s Pops Series. He plays a
vital role in designing and conducting the orchestra’s award-winning education
and community engagement programs, as well as assisting Music Director JoAnn
Falletta during recording sessions and on tour. Upcoming season
highlights include performances with fiddler and composer Mark O’Connor, jazz
trumpeter Chris Botti, pianist Jamie Parker, and multiple tour performances
with Tony award-winner Idina Menzel. Mr.
Kraemer appears as guest conductor this season with Canada’s Mississauga
Symphony Orchestra, the Butler County Symphony Orchestra, and returns to the
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for several weeks of performances.
Recipient of the distinguished Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship and
the Bruno Walter Career Development Grant, Mr. Kraemer served a residency with
the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Music Festival during the summer of
2006. His numerous guest conducting engagements have included appearances
with the Akron, Asheville, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Hartford,
Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Nashville, North Carolina, Spokane, St. Louis,
and Virginia symphony orchestras, the Reno Chamber Orchestra, and in Europe
with the Vidin Philharmonic and the Orquesta de Cadaqués. Equally at home
in the ballet pit, he has led fully-staged performances with Virginia Ballet
Theatre, Ohio Ballet, Neglia Ballet Artists, and Todd Rosenlieb Dance. He
has served as conductor for Broadway superstar Idina Menzel’s numerous symphony
engagements nationwide and he has also collaborated with many other leading artists,
including Awadagin Pratt, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Philippe Quint,
Jennifer Koh, Ben Folds, Chris Botti, and Richard Stolzman, among many
others. He recently conducted the BPO to
considerable acclaim when internationally renowned superstar Lang Lang
performed Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at Kleinhans Music Hall.
Prior to his appointment in Buffalo, Mr. Kraemer completed a highly successful, three-year tenure as associate conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra where he led the orchestra in over 200 performances throughout the state of Virginia. He has held positions with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Akron Youth Symphony, having led the AYS into its 50th anniversary season with a performance in Carnegie Hall.
Mr. Kraemer is a passionate advocate for new music and has performed the works of many living composers during his career. He has led composer readings and workshops with several orchestras in the United States and will continue to lead the BPO’s Earshot partnership with the American Composers Orchestra’s in Buffalo this season. Also increasingly recognized for his committed advocacy of music education and his devotion to young audiences, he has created numerous arts education programs and has taught at several music festivals both in the US and abroad. The Buffalo Philharmonic’s extensive education concerts have grown exponentially under his leadership, expanding to reach over 40,000 students throughout western New York.
An Indiana native, Mr. Kraemer studied conducting in Vienna, Austria with Salvador Mas Conde and was twice a fellowship conductor at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen. He has additionally participated in the National Arts Center Conductor’s Program in Ottawa, Canada. His conducting teachers include David Zinman, Robert Spano, Stanley DeRusha, and Jorma Panula. Mr. Kraemer is a graduate of Butler University and the University of Nevada, Reno, where he assisted former Cincinnati Symphony concertmaster Phillip Ruder. An accomplished violinist in his own right, he was a member of the Nightingale String Quartet. Fluent in German and French, his principal violin teachers include Phillip Ruder, Herbert Greenberg, and Larry Shapiro. When he is not performing, Mr. Kraemer enjoys cooking, running, and reading. He and his wife Megan reside in Buffalo, NY.
For more information on Mr. Kraemer, visit his website at www.matthewkraemer.com
