A native of Costa Rica, Walter Morales is the Music Director of the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra.  His previous positions include Music Director of Undercroft Opera, Music Director of the Carnegie Mellon University Contemporary Ensemble, Head of Music of Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Principal Guest Conductor of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies at Carnegie Mellon University and Assistant Conductor of the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic.


He is the First Prize winner of the 2015 American Prize in Conducting (Community Orchestra Division). He is also the first candidate to receive four American Prize nominations in Conducting in the divisions of Professional Orchestra, Professional Opera, University Opera and Community Orchestra in the same year.  In 2016, he was awarded Third Prize of the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting (Professional Division) and also received Second Place of the American Prize in Opera Conducting (Professional Division) for the production of Figaro Redux with Pittsburgh Festival Opera.


He has been a guest conductor with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, McKeesport Symphony Orchestra, Butler County Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Chatham Baroque, Pittsburgh Philharmonic, University of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,  University of Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Heredia Symphony Orchestra,  Helix New Music Ensemble, Carnegie Mellon Chamber Orchestra, and the Rutgers Chamber Orchestra.  He has also served as a cover conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.  During his time at Carnegie Mellon University he led the Philharmonic in numerous performances, accompanied the orchestra in concert tours and prepared the Philharmonic for such conductors as Erich Kunzel, Sir Andrew Davis, Keith Lockhart, Peter Oundjian, David Effron, Thomas Baldner, and Juan Pablo Izquierdo.


An active concert pianist and recording artist, Morales has toured through out the United States, Central and South America. In New York City, he has performed at Steinway Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Lincoln Center. He has performed as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, University of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble, McKeesport Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Mellon Virtuosi, Princeton Pro Musica, University of Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra, College of Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and the International Piano Series Orchestra.  His commitment to Latin American composers has led to engagements at the International Music Festivals “Semanas Musicales de Frutillar” in Chile and “Seminario de Composición Musical” in Costa Rica. Through his numerous performances as conductor and pianist, Morales has become one of the foremost interpreters of Costa Rican music in the United States. His recordings as both conductor and pianist can be heard on the Centaur, Mode, Zimbel, and Quindecim labels.







Biography