Robert Moody, Guest Conductor
Conductor Robert Moody celebrates his ninth season as Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and eighteenth season as Music Director of Arizona Musicfest. He was named Music Director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in June 2024. Under his leadership, the Memphis Symphony has enjoyed exponential growth in programming, recording, new commissions, and endowment growth to well over $25 Million dollars, while AZ Musicfest has become the premiere winter music festival orchestra in North America, boasting a roster of players from the world’s greatest orchestras.
In 2022, Moody was invited to conduct the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra in Florida in a gala concert with Renee Fleming. Following that experience, he was immediately named Principal Opera Conductor for Lakeland Symphony/Opera.
Prior to Memphis, Moody was music director of both the Portland Symphony (Maine) and the Winston-Salem Symphony (North Carolina). Earlier in his career, he held conducting positions with the Phoenix Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Santa Fe Opera, Brevard Music Center, Interschool Orchestras of New York City, and apprenticed at Landestheater Opera in Linz, Austria.
During the 2024-25 season, Moody makes his debut with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Tulsa Opera, both in performances with Renee Fleming; the Tampere Philharmonic and Romania’s Filarmonica Banatul; and returns to conduct the Portland and Greensboro symphony orchestras.
He has led many of the major orchestras and opera companies of the world, including the Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Toronto symphony orchestras; Los Angeles and Buffalo Philharmonics, Minnesota Orchestra, and Washington National Opera. Internationally, his recent engagements include the Aachen and Baden Baden Symphony Orchestras in Germany, Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogotá (Colombia), and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Austria). He made his debut in China in 2024 with the Shen Zhen Symphony Orchestra. He is a frequent guest conductor in South Africa, returning this season for the third time to conduct the three major orchestras there – Cape Town, Johannesburg, and KZN Philharmonic in Durban.
Passionate about mentoring the next generation of musicians, Moody has spent recent summers conducting at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, and Highlands Opera Festival.
Moody’s work is available on several commercial recordings, including the Canadian Brass albums Bach and Legends, R. Carlos Nokai’s Fourth World album, and with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and trumpet legend Ryan Anthony on his Re:Mission Rubato album.
Robert is a close friend and collaborator with Grammy winning composer Mason Bates. Their friendship spans over 30 years, and Moody was the first conductor to commission a full orchestral work from Bates. Robert also commissioned several major works of Mason’s, including Rusty Air in Carolina, and the much-lauded Desert Transport.
A South Carolina native, Moody holds degrees from Furman University and the Eastman School of Music, where he earned his conducting degree with Donald Neuen. Additional studies included an undergraduate term abroad in Vienna, Austria, and a summer of study with Otto Werner Mueller at Le Domaine Forget in Quebec. He is a Rotarian and has served on the boards of AIDS Care Services, Winston-Salem YMCA, WDAV Classical Radio, and the Charlotte Master Chorale.
