Top conductors surge to headless music school

Larry Rachleff, who died last summer aged 67, had long established himself as one of America’s major conducting teachers. Living in Houston, he was Professor of Orchestral Conducting and Music Director of the Shepherd School Symphony and Chamber orchestras. There were questions as to how Shepherd could cope without him.

Shepherd has now come up with answers. Many of Larry’s former pupils and friends will teach there this year. They include Cristian Măcelaru, music director of the Orchestre National de France, and Patrick Summers, artistic director of Houston Grand Opera.

Coming up being them are Robert Spano, music director of the Fort Worth Symphony; Hans Graf, music director of the Singapore Symphony; William Eddins, music director emeritus of Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director of Chicago Opera Theater; Miguel Harth-Bedoya, director of orchestral studies at Baylor University; and Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony and NFM Wrocław Philharmonic in Poland.

Not a bad line-up.