Alexander Mickelthwate

Assistant Conductor, 1997-1999

Alexander Mickelthwate grew up in Frankfurt, Germany where at the age of six, he began his piano studies. Later as a teenager, he also studied cello and composition. He played in different orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and won several prizes in German youth competitions.

After his Abitur, he studied piano performance and conducting in Karlsruhe under the distinguished teachers Wolf Dieter Hauschild and Andre Boainain. In addition, he participated in international conductiong courses in Austria and France with Peter Eotvoes and Werner Thaerichen. During his studies he worked for the Frankfurt Chamber Opera and the Karlsruhe Opera Studio as assistant conductor and coach. He made his debut in Germany with the Mannheim Chamberphilharmonie and in Hungary with the Savaria Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Mickelthwate came to Baltimore in 1996 to study in the last conducting class of Frederick Prausnitz at the Peabody Institute of Music. This year, he is a student of Gustav Meier and Markand Thackar also at Peabody and works as assistant conductor for Teri Murai with the Peabody Concert Orchestra and for the Peabody Opera Department for their upcoming production of Massenet’s Cherubin.

In October of 1997, he worked as assistant conductor for Christian Badea at the Baltimore Opera Company for their production of Falstaff featuring Barbara Daniels and Sherrill Milnes. In September he was appointed assistant conductor of the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra and cover conductor for the Bridgeton Symphony Orchestra (NJ) for the 1997-98 Season.