James Feddeck

Assistant Conductor
Elizabeth Ring and William Gwinn Mather Endowed Chair
The Cleveland Orchestra

Music Director
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra

The 2009-10 season marks James Feddeck's first year as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra and as Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. As an assistant conductor, Mr. Feddeck conducts Education, Family, and other concerts and serves as cover conductor for Severance Hall and Blossom Festival subscription concerts. He also helps to oversee the editing of archival recordings of concerts and provides assistance to Franz Welser-Möst. As music director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Mr. Feddeck leads the ensemble in weekly rehearsals and conducts its three-concert series in Severance Hall. Mr. Feddeck made his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in a Blossom Festival concert in August 2009, as an Aspen Academy Conductor.

Before coming to Cleveland, James Feddeck served for two seasons as assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. During the summer of 2009, Mr. Feddeck served as assistant conductor at the Aspen Music Festival and School. A conducting fellow for three summers at the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he was a protégé of David Zinman, James Feddeck received the Aspen Conducting Prize in 2008. He was awarded the Robert J. Harth Conductor Prize in 2007. In addition, he was the unanimous winner of the Sixth Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition and, at twenty-two, its youngest participant.

Mr. Feddeck was admitted to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in four areas: piano, oboe, organ, and conducting. He studied conducting with Steven Smith, Timothy Weiss, and Bridget-Michaele Reischl. After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from Oberlin, Mr. Feddeck continued his studies in conducting at the University of Michigan, working with Kenneth Kiesler. He has participated in conducting masterclasses at Aspen with Patrick Summers, Harry Bicket, and James Conlon. Mr. Feddeck has performed organ recitals throughout Europe and North America and has won competitions sponsored by the American Guild of Organists. Recent and upcoming conducting engagements include appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Cleveland Institute of Music, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (with soloist Yo-Yo Ma), and return performances with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Updated:  September 2009