DAVID HANDEL

David Handel, presently Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Bolivia, has developed an extraordinary reputation as one of the most respected and innovative and moreover busiest conductors in Latin America. His international fame, imaginative programming and distinctive community approach fill halls wherever he conducts. Since the beginning of his tenure in Bolivia, audience attendance has grown exponentially, most of the new audience composed of young concertgoers.

First noticed by Kurt Masur, then Music Director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus, David Handel was invited to serve as his apprentice conductor at this historic institution. Since then, he has led orchestras throughout the world, including programs for international radio and television broadcasts. In 1993, David Handel was one of a few young conductors selected to conduct the New York Philharmonic in a preview session at Carnegie Hall.

His repertoire is extremely varied and spans much of the symphonic and operatic literature. Having led numerous first performances and world premiers, he has personally commissioned more than 70 original scores and orchestral arrangements, and has to his credit a considerable list of television and compact disc recordings.

His principal instructors were Gustav Meier, Elizabeth Green and Ruggiero Ricci. Twice a fellow of the prestigious Fulbright Program, David Handel is a laureate of the Chicago Artists International Program and has received numerous awards including two Rackham awards, the Marguerite Lapp Scholarship for Exceptional Musical Talent, two Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Illinois Arts Council awards, the Decoration of Illimani for outstanding community service in the arts (Bolivia), the UNESCO/Pro-Santa Cruz National Prize in Culture (Bolivia) and a fellowship from the Leipzig Gewandhaus (Germany). He has represented the United States throughout the world as a Cultural Ambassador by way of the U.S. State Department Cultural Specialists Program.

In 2007, Handel founded the Guadalquivir International Orchestral Festival, bringing together more than a hundred of the finest orchestral musicians from throughout the Americas, and in 2009 he created the National Centre for Orchestral Studies in La Paz, an initiative underwritten by the National Symphony Foundation.

Among Handel’s current projects are recordings of works by Alberto Ginastera and Isaac Albeniz and include a recent release of music by American composer David Winkler for the NAXOS label. His diverse activities and initiatives have been featured in profiles in The Washington Post, USA Today, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian of London, The BBC and National Public Radio (USA).

To a full house, standing ovations and critical acclaim, in March of 2010 David Handel made his Moscow debut with the Moscow City Symphony ‘Russian Philharmonic’ in the new premier concert venue, Svetlanov Hall, whereupon he was immediately re-engaged to lead numerous programs with this virtuoso ensemble.

“It’s a pleasure to recommend to you David Handel, a young conductor who has within a few years built up a career of astounding scope… Maestro Handel is very musical, highly energized and above all knows how to bring out the best from his musicians. I have no doubt that Maestro Handel has a wonderful career.”
GUSTAV MEIER

“Maestro Handel is a ‘messiah’ for orchestra…”
THE MIAMI HERALD

“Handel’s decisive style brought cohesive, blended sounds, precise attacks, and bold dynamics from the orchestra, in a performance that was polished, expressive and full of carefully shaped phrases throughout.”
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

“Much more than pure joy (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony)… The capacity crowd of more than 2000 people gave a massive ‘YES’ to this performance… The extremely notable interpretation of this universal classic, under the direction of Maestro David Handel, revealed the true vigour of the original score… Every one of the singularities of each of the four movements was indicated by Maestro Handel with mathematical precision, but was at the same time filled with enchantment… All were received with an extended standing ovation… Musicians and public alike were radiant with joy.”
DIARIO UNO ARGENTINA

“Under David Handel’s baton, the Orchestra produced an overture replete with interesting variety. Emphasis was placed on rhythmic appeal. Fluid sections with ritardandi were particularly effective… Equally impressive in shape and accomplishment was the melancholy and dramatic…where Handel’s attentive conducting was also remarkable for its sensitivity.”
MALTA SUNDAY TIMES

“The public burst into applause….Yes, the concert was truly great; not only for the opportunity to enjoy the music which violinist Shlomo Mintz so marvellously expresses, but because the Orchestra was so solidly guided by its conductor David Handel in a well balanced program, full of emotion and one intelligently delineated.”
LOS ANDES ARGENTINA

“A MODEL TO BE FOLLOWED… This subscription season of the UNCuyo Symphony Orchestra offers such relevant names as the famous Israeli violinist Shlomo Mintz, the legendary Italian conductor Pietro Gamba, the renowned British pianist Peter Donahoe, noted violinist Rafael Gintoli and the ensemble’s excellent Music Director, American conductor David Handel, among many important figures. In general, the vocation to cultivate the arts in neighbouring Mendoza, and in so professional a manner, is more than eloquent, to say nothing of quality projects and local stability, it constitutes a reference worthy of imitating.”
GRAN VALPARAISO, Chile

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