Hannah Schendel

Hannah Schendel serves as Visiting Instructor in Music at Carleton College, where she conducts the Carleton Orchestra and teaches MUSC 187 across multiple terms. She simultaneously holds significant professional roles as Cover Conductor with the Minnesota Orchestra (assisting Osmo Vänskä, Ruth Reinhardt, and Tito Muñoz) and Music Director of the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating her dual commitment to academic instruction and professional musical leadership.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Orchestral conducting studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under Mark Gibson
• Extensive mentorship from Johannes Schlaefli, Marin Alsop, Larry Rachleff, Joe Miller, Kathy Romey, Jonathan Martin, and Michelle Miller Burns

Schendel's artistic practice centers on conducting repertoire that explores the human experience through diverse musical expressions. Her expertise spans orchestral conducting, opera production, and contemporary classical music, evidenced by her assistant conductor role for Gregory Spears' Fellow Travelers and cover conductor position for Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She actively engages with cutting-edge artistic development through masterclasses at prestigious festivals including the Järvi Academy/Pärnu Music Festival with Paavo Järvi, LEAD Foundation!/Fiskars Summer Music Festival with Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music with Cristian Măcelaru.

Her notable professional recognition includes:

• Semifinalist in the 2023 Sergey Kussewitzky International Conducting Competition

Schendel maintains a robust presence in Minnesota's musical ecosystem through her leadership of the Carleton Orchestra, collaborative work with the Minnesota Orchestra, and direction of the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, significantly contributing to both academic and professional music communities in the region.