Michael Isadore, Associate Conductor
Michael Alan Isadore came to Houston after graduating with Masters Degrees in conducting and clarinet performance from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Conservatory of Music. Since moving to Houston, Isadore has built an important career teaching and conducting while maintaining his recognized performance ability on the clarinet. As a conductor, Isadore was appointed the Associate Conductor of the Houston Civic Symphony starting with the 2007 season, was guest conductor of the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra in 2003, The Civic Symphony of Houston in 2004 and the Houston Sinfonietta on two occasions in 2004 and 2005. Recently, Isadore joined the staff of the Houston Youth Symphony as one of their conductors. Isadore has been director of the Dulles High School Orchestra since 1999. Under his leadership, the Dulles Orchestra was chosen to play at the Midwest Convention in Chicago in December 2004 and was chosen as the Runner up for TMEA Honor Orchestra in 2005.
Isadore has appeared at many conducting workshops, most recently the Rose City International Conducting Workshop and has studied with Kenneth Keisler, Dan Lewis, Harold Farberman, Christopher Zimmerman, David Hoose, Kenneth Woods, Stephen Heyde, Michael Haithcock, and Gary Hill. Prior to moving to Houston, Isadore served as Assistant Director/Conductor of the new music ensemble, Musica Nova at UMKC.
Through his work with Musica Nova and subsequent association with Minnesota composer Libby Larsen, Ms. Larsen agreed to compose a trio for Isadore, which was funded by a consortium of chamber ensembles, flutists and clarinetists. The Flute and Clarinet Duos Commissioning Consortium, has continued their efforts to expand the literature for Flute, Clarinet and Piano with completed projects by composers Derek Bermel and Valerie Coleman. FCDC was founded by Isadore along with Leone Buyse and Michael Webster of Rice University, both members of the acclaimed Webster Trio. Isadore continues to serve on the board. Isadore and his wife Jennifer premiered the Valerie Coleman composition, “Portraits of Langston", at the National Flute Association’s Convention in Albuquerque, NM in 2007.
As an accomplished clarinetist, Isadore has appeared as a soloist with many of the Houston area orchestras. In February of 2003, Michael was the featured soloist with the Fort Bend Symphony playing Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2 and in 2005 was soloist with Houston Sinfonietta and in 2006 with the Houston Civic Symphony. He has also soloed alongside his father, David Isadore with The Valley Symphony Orchestra in Edinburgh, Texas. He performs regularly as auxiliary/third clarinet with The Symphony of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, and has performed six summers with the Texas Music Festival at the University of Houston. Isadore continues studies on clarinet with Thomas LeGrand, Assistant Principal Clarinet of the Houston Symphony. Isadore received his undergraduate degree in music education from Baylor University, and while attending Masters Studies at UMKC, met his wife Jennifer who is the Principal Flutist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas. They reside in Sugar Land with three cats, a retired greyhound, a bunny and a hedgehog named fluffy.
