Travis Hatton, Conductor

Mr. Hatton has proven to be one of the most versatile conductors of his generation. His wide interests have led him to work with opera companies, orchestras, chamber orchestras, choruses and bands. As an opera conductor, he has appeared with opera companies in Europe as well as America. He has conducted over 200 opera and ballet performances.

Mr. Hatton held two posts during his five years in Europe (1992 -1997) - Conductor of the Moravian Opera Theater (Olomouc, the Czech Republic) and Artistic Director of the City Opera Theater of Usti nad Labem (also in the Czech Republic). Mr. Hatton conducted the Eugene (Oregon) Opera's recent production of the Marriage of Figaro, and Amahl and the Night Visitors, Hansel and Gretel and The Magic Flute in Vancouver, Washington with the Vancouver Children's Opera.

As an orchestral conductor, Mr. Hatton has appeared as a guest conductor with orchestras in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and in Boston, Tennessee, Indiana, California, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Texas. In November 2007, Mr. Hatton appeared as a guest conductor with the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra in North Dakota. In the 2008-2009 season, Mr. Hatton will guest conduct the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (WA), the Beaverton Chamber Symphony (OR) and the Washington-Idaho Symphony Orchestra (Pullman, WA - Moscow, ID). Since arriving in the Portland area, he has appeared with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the Rose City Chamber Orchestra. As a choral conductor, Mr. Hatton has conducted opera choruses in Europe, and symphonic and sacred choruses in California, Indiana, Oregon and Washington.

Mr. Hatton holds a Bachelors of Music degree (awarded Magna Cum Laude) in Music Theory and Composition from the University of the Pacific and a Masters of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is a lifetime member of two musical honors societies, and has been a participant in many conducting programs and workshops including Aspen, The Conductors Institute, and The Festival at Sandpoint. His teachers and instructors have included, Gunther Schuller, Carl St. Clair, Murray Sidlin, Harold Faurberman, Peiro Bellugi, and Leonard Atherton.

Mr. Hatton is the new Music Director of the Beaverton Chamber Symphony, and in his 8th season as the Music Director of the Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra at the Sunnyside SDA Church in Portland, Oregon. Director of Orchestras at Valley Catholic School in Beaverton, and Director of the Concert Orchestra for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. He currently lives in Vancouver, Washington with his wife Lynelle and their two children, Kyle and Kara.