Conductors

The Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque is honored to be able to
to work with the talented conductors, Michael Mauldin, and John Ward. We are also pleased to have Daniel Davis, our Adult Choral Director, and Julie Smith, our Youth Choir Director. Each of these conductors has donated their time and talents to this organization and have provided this symphony with a high level of performance ability.

MICHAEL MAULDIN

Michael Mauldin, well-known pianist, composer, teacher, and conductor is serving currently as conductor for our October 16 and 17 concert pair(see schedule). During his nine years as Musical Director of the Albuquerque Boy Choir, the group has grown to include three choirs and eighty-five boys who have performed with the American Boy Choir, the Tucson and Phoenix Boy Choirs, Sangre de Cristo Chorale, Quintessence, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and a special performance for former President Clinton in Washington D.C. Mauldin’s compositions have been performed throughout the country, including the Kennedy Center; his works have also been presented in Europe and Austrailia. In 1980 he was named "Composer of the Year" in a national competition sponsored by the Music Teacher’s National Association. We are proud to have Michael serve as one of our conductors (Visit our "Contemporary Artists Compositions" link within the Symphonic Endeavors page to learn more about Michael's work.

JOHN WARD

John Ward has been involved in musical ventures throughout his life. An outstanding Violist, John has also served as director for many choirs and ensembles through the years. He was choral director for Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Los Alamos from 1958-1988, and for the Los Alamos Choral Society from 1967-1999. He was conductor for the Los Alamos Sinfonietta from 1957-1966, and for the Reactor Center Chamber Orchestra in Germany. John was principal Violist for the University of New Mexico Symphony in 1966, the Albuquerque Chamber Orchestra, directed by Kurt Frederick, the Los Alamos Symphony, and the Santa Fe Community Orchestra. He has also served as principal Violist in our own Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque. Recently he has moved from Santa Fe to Albuquerque and he spends his retirement continuing to make music. We have been fortunate to have him share his great musical abilities with us. His wife, Arlene, an outstanding organist, and Professor at the University of New Mexico, joined us in March of 2002 and performed the Rheinberger Organ Concerto.

DANIEL DAVIS, CHORAL DIRECTOR

Daniel Davis, our outstanding choral director, is a Music Instructor at the University of New Mexico Valencia Campus and at TVI. Daniel received his degrees in music composition from the University of Washington in Seattle. He has composed music for symphonic and chamber ensembles, opera, dance, theater, and television documentaries for KNME-TV 5 here in Albuquerque.  

His published musical, "In a Room Somewhere," has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. "What Shall I Cry?" for solo Marimba was published by HoneyRock Percussion this year. He has also composed numerous folk hymns, including "The Babe in Bethlehem’s Manger Laid," also known as "Belen," which is published in the New Millenium Harp, and which was featured on the December 2001 Concert for the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque.

Daniel sings with the Albuquerque Shape Note Singers and is musical director for the University of New Mexico Valencia Campus Chorus.