Teresa Metzger Howe

Teresa Metzger Howe is Music Director of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and conductor of BYSO’s top tier ensemble, the Youth Symphony. She joined BYSO in 2001 as the conductor of Premiere Orchestra and became Music Director and Youth Symphony conductor in 2005. During her tenure, BYSO has doubled in enrollment and now has four full orchestras, two string orchestras, two flute ensembles and a percussion ensemble.

Each year Dr. Metzger Howe chooses a theme for the organization; past favorites have been “A Celebration of Women in Music,” “Pacific Northwest Composers,” “African American music and its influences,” and “Hear Our Voices: Amplifying music from women and Black, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI and LGBTQ+ composers.”

Dr. Metzger Howe is also the conductor of Rain City Symphony, a community orchestra in Seattle, Washington, which has also doubled in size during her tenure. She was a frequent guest conductor of operas and musicals at Shoreline Community College and conducted the Pontiac Bay Symphony Orchestra, the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra, the University of Washington Summer Orchestra, Lakeside Orchestra, and the Rose City Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Dr. Metzger Howe’s opera conducting credits include Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Bizet’s Carmen, Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman, Lehar’s Merry Widow, and Mozart’s Magic Flute.

Dr. Metzger Howe studied or worked closely with several of today’s leading conductors, including Peter Eros, David Hoose, Ken Kiesler, Ken Woods, and Christopher Zimmerman.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Washington, a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Butler University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Theory from Manchester College. She received a Morrison Conducting Fellowship at the University of Washington and the Murl Barnhart Award at Manchester College.

Previous career paths included teaching instrumental music (orchestra and stage band) at Lakeside Upper School and serving as music director for professional productions in theater. She music-directed over 50 productions of stage musicals and cabarets in professional theaters throughout the United States. Dr. Metzger Howe also maintains a private piano studio in her home.