Profile
Geoffrey McDonald is lauded as a “promising and confident” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) young leader at the forefront of an evolving American opera scene. The New York Times describes him as “an agile conductor…whose pacing is sure in both reflective and restless passages", and the Observer has noted his "original and flexible musical imagination" in productions ranging from baroque to contemporary opera, in traditional venues as well as ambitious site-specific performances.
Current and recent seasons mark many company debuts for McDonald. In the fall of 2018, he conducted the critically-acclaimed world premiere of Sky on Swings (Beecher/Moscovitch) at Opera Philadelphia, and returns for the world premiere of Woman with Eyes Closed (Higdon/Dye). Other highlights from recent seasons include Flight at Minnesota Opera, Hänsel und Gretel at Opera Saratoga, Idomeneo at Wolf Trap Opera, La finta giardiniera at Atlanta Opera, and Elizabeth Cree at Chicago Opera Theatre. He has also made recent debuts at Opera Omaha, Curtis Opera Theatre, Toledo Opera, and the Caramoor Festival.
As Music Director of New York City's On Site Opera, McDonald regularly marshals performances of the highest musical standard while adapting to immersive and logistically challenging settings. As the Observer put it, “Geoffrey McDonald repeated the miracle of nuanced coordination [in On Site Opera's Barber of Seville] between orchestra and singers he recently accomplished with Orlando downtown.” Of other recent On Site Opera performances, The New York Times noted, “Geoffrey McDonald, drew stylish, nimble playing”, elsewhere admiring his “grace and verve”, while Opera News has praised his “sensitivity and control.”
He has appeared as guest conductor with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, International Contemporary Ensemble, Gotham Chamber Opera, American Symphony Orchestra, Bard Festival Players, and historical instrument ensemble Grand Harmonie. In the spring of 2017, McDonald made his German theater debut with Theater und Orchester Neubrandenburg/Neustrelitz, and led the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra in Prague in a performance of Smetana's Ma Vlast. He is a sought-after collaborator in the development of new opera, having worked with leading composers such as Jennifer Higdon, Missy Mazzoli, Kevin Puts, Lembit Beecher, Daniel Schnyder, Nico Muhly, John Musto, Tarik O’Reagan, and Michi Wiancko. He led American Opera Projects’ production of Wolf-in-Skins (Gregory Spears/Christopher Williams) from the keyboard, and recently conducted The Halloween Tree (Popov/Asaro) for American Lyric Theater.
At home as a performer/arranger of contemporary, traditional, popular and historically-informed instrumental performance, McDonald is adept at forging new paths that incorporate elements of each. To that end, he has collaborated regularly with stage director R.B. Schlather on innovative presentations of works by Händel (Orlando, Alcina, Ariodante, and Semele). In addition to his active freelance career, he has already established an impressive record as an engaging conductor-educator, serving as Music Director of the Longy Conservatory Orchestra in Cambridge, Massachusetts (2013-2015); the Bard College Orchestra (2011-15); the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (2010-13); and the Columbia University Bach Society (2009-12).
McDonald earned his masters in orchestral conducting at Mannes College of Music, where he studied with David Hayes, and was the recipient of the Alma Askin Scholarship, the Felix Salzer Techniques of Music Award, and the Mannes Theory Essay Prize. He has received additional instruction and mentorship from Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Leif Segerstam, Leonid Grin, and Sir Gilbert Levine, whom he assisted on PBS-televised productions of Bruckner's 9th Symphony and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. He studied conducting with Michael Pratt at Princeton University, and upon earning his bachelors degree (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), he was awarded the inaugural Edward T. Cone Memorial Prize for excellence in combining music scholarship and performance. He studied piano, cello, and voice, and is a sought-after vocal coach, working with accomplished singers who appear on the world’s top stages.