Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music Hires New Faculty

Cristian Măcelaru and Patrick Summers will serve as the school’s visiting artist and lecturer in opera studies, respectively

The Shepherd School of Music’s recent appointment of alumnus Cristian Măcelaru and opera luminary Patrick Summers to its faculty will draw on both artists’ acclaimed international roles in classical music.

Măcelaru will begin his tenure at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a distinguished visiting artist from the 2025/26 season through the 2027/28 season. 

Summers, who is the artistic and music director of Houston Grand Opera (HGO), will assume the role of distinguished lecturer in opera studies.

Currently the music director of the Orchestre National de France and music director designate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Măcelaru recently led the Orchestre National de France in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

He also serves as artistic director of the George Enescu International Festival and Competition, artistic director and principal conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, music director and conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, plus chief conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester. In 2020, he received a GRAMMY Award for conducting Wynton Marsalis’ violin concerto with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In his annual residencies at the Shepherd School, Mӑcelaru will collaborate with Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya in coaching ensembles, judging competitions, workshopping new compositions, guiding mock auditions, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. He will be conducting the Shepherd School Orchestras in February 2025. 

“It’s no secret to those who know me that I have always placed an important focus on education and meeting young musicians at all stages of their artistic development,” Mӑcelaru said in the press release. “I’m very happy to be more involved working with the highly accomplished young artists at the Shepherd School.”

“Cristian Mӑcelaru’s return to the Shepherd School is a homecoming we’ve all been eagerly anticipating,” said Shepherd School Dean Matthew Loden. “Cristi is a brilliant musician and having him at Shepherd in a more official, ongoing capacity solidifies our commitment to attracting the world’s best talent for our students. We are honored to welcome him back to his musical alma mater to guide the next generation of musicians.”

Summers has collaborated on numerous world premieres, including works by Tarik O’Regan, André Previn and Jake Heggie. Additionally he has conducted for Opera Australia, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera, and serves as co-artistic director of the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS. His long-standing relationship with the San Francisco Opera also saw him win the San Francisco Opera Medal in 2015. 

Previously, he lectured in the Shepherd School’s Advanced Opera Studies course, plus conducted the school’s operas including Floyd’s Susannah and Handel’s Agrippina. 

In his new role at the school, Summers will work closely with the students and the director of opera studies, Joshua Winograde. 

“The Shepherd School has a long history of engaging classical music’s most illustrious and innovative talent in leadership and faculty posts, and so having Patrick as a lecturer for our students is thrilling for us, and yet it feels only natural,” Winograde said. “He is an opera industry artist, educator, mentor and scholar like no other on Earth … Patrick Summers’ expertise and passion for opera will be an invaluable asset to our program.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Joshua Winograde’s new team at the Shepherd School’s Opera Studies program,” Summers expressed. “These brilliant young artists are part of opera’s future, and my task is to bring alive for them opera’s past, to give a sense of the legacy into which they are emerging. I am very excited to get started.”