About
Richard McKay | Conductor
Biography
Richard McKay is a conductor of the symphonic and operatic repertory across the United States, Europe and South America. An established leader in the vibrant Dallas arts community, his performances have been hailed by critics as “spellbinding,” “finely paced,” and “perfectly shaped” (D Magazine and The Dallas Morning News). He is the founder and artistic director of the Dallas Chamber Symphony.
McKay began his career working at the Baltimore Symphony and Dallas Symphony, where he assisted Günther Herbig, Carlos Kalmar, Robert Spano and Jaap van Zweden. He has led performances with the Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Irving Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Mendoza Symphony, Manhattan School of Music Symphony and Estonian National Youth Symphony, among many others.
McKay holds a doctorate in conducting from the Peabody Institute, where he studied with Gustav Meier and Markand Thakar while serving as assistant conductor and chorus master of the conservatory orchestras and opera. He continued his training at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music with Marin Alsop. An accomplished pianist, he holds performance degrees in piano and conducting from The University of Texas at Austin where he served as music director of the University Orchestra and led productions at the Butler Opera Center.
McKay has been lauded for his fresh approach to classical programing, and for creating the innovative and entertaining combinations of widely varied repertoire heard at his regular subscription performances, and for which the DCS has become well known. D Magazine describes him as a “conductor [whose] long-term vision is [for the DCS to become] precisely the kind of eclectic and occasionally challenging classic group Dallas really needs.” Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News has praised the orchestra as not only “an ensemble with real potential to enrich the local arts scene,” but also one whose recent performances led by McKay, were “as eager and expressive as they were accomplished.”
McKay is the creator of the orchestra’s award-winning UnSilent Film Series, a popular ongoing project for which original scores are commissioned from top composers, then premiered in concert to screenings of classic silent films. While the DCS is committed to artistic partnerships, composer residencies and experimental music, its season is balanced with performances of traditional, but less often heard, chamber orchestral repertory.
Passionate about music education, McKay created TechNotes, an original music and technology curriculum designed for elementary school students. The initiative delivers interactive videoconferences, assembly concerts and individual musician visits to local elementary school classrooms. Activities are paired with a digital supplement for iPads and personal computers — which he co-authored — to prepare area youth for field-trip concerts to see the orchestra. For emerging professional pianists, he founded the Dallas International Piano Competition, which provides master classes, grants, and orchestral performance opportunities for participants.
Always an advocate for new music, McKay has performed at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, where he was invited by Marin Alsop to conduct the world premiere of Clint Needham’s Radiant Nation as part of the festival’s In the Works concert program. He has conducted the world premieres of several dozen original scores, and continues to commission and promote the works of living composers. His recently released album with the Dallas Chamber Symphony on Albany Records features music by Aaron Copland and Joseph Thalken’s Chasing Home.
An entrepreneur who is well versed in the complex and multi-faceted operations of the modern performing arts nonprofit, McKay is frequently in demand as a guest speaker on a broad range of music industry topics. He has been a featured presenter at the South By Southwest Music Festival, guest on KERA’s Think with Krys Boyd, and panelist on State of the Arts, presented by the Dallas Museum of Art. In 2024 he was named the recipient of the Dallas Historical Society’s History Maker’s Award for Excellence in Arts Leadership.
