Eugene Dowdy, Director of Orchestras

Eugene (Gene) Dowdy is in his 15th year as head of orchestral studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He is the music director and conductor of the UTSA Orchestra and Opera, teaches courses in conducting and rock history, and served six years as the music department chair. He is also the assistant conductor for the Mid-Texas Symphony. During his time at UTSA, the orchestral program has developed from a community-based ensemble into an eighty-student symphony that has toured in central and south Texas and Mexico. Dowdy has led the UTSA Orchestra in interesting collaborations with such distinguished artists as opera composer Seymour Barab (world premiere), jazz greats Chris and Dan Brubeck, the internationally celebrated Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, and the progressive rock band KANSAS. Locally and on tour, the UTSA Orchestra has performed with distinguished soloists including Allyson Dawkins, Mary Ellen Goree, Steven Zeserman, Matt Dunne, Kenneth Freudigman, and Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio. The UTSA Orchestra performed at TMEA with the All-State College Choir in a presentation of Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and in Monterrey and Saltillo at the invitation of the Mexican government. A strong advocate for string teacher training, Dr. Dowdy is the founding director of the UTSA String Project, a nationally-recognized program that has provided over 1,000 community children with low/no cost music training, and boasts 20+ UTSA alumni who are now professional string teachers.

Prior to his university appointment, Dowdy earned the bachelor’s degree in music education from UT Austin with a Performance Certificate in Violin, where he taught in the UT String Project under director Phyllis Young. He taught award-winning public school orchestras for nine years in the North East ISD of San Antonio, and was honored with district-wide awards for Human Relations and Teacher of the Year. During that time he also became a conductor for the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and joined the conducting and violin faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp. He earned the master’s degree in music education from UTSA, and the doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Iowa, studying with James Dixon.

Dowdy is an active guest-conductor with recent engagements in Georgia (All-State Orchestra), Mexico (Camerata de Coahuila), Iowa (All-State), and numerous high school All-Region orchestras and festivals in Texas and the midwest. He is the Resident Conductor of the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and conducted that orchestra on their tour of France. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Texas Chapter of the American String Teachers Association and is a Past President of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association. He is also a member of TMEA, MENC, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Sigma Alpha Iota (Friend of the Arts), Pi Kappa Lambda, Mu Omicron, the American Federation of Musicians, Local 23, and is found on many Who’s Who lists. Gene is married to Stacy, and they have two daughters, Jessica and Rachel, who are active in the arts and sciences.

Courses Taught

MUS 2001 Concert Music
MUS 3741 Chamber Orchestra
MUS 3761 UTSA Orchestra
MUS 6941 Recital
MUS 2673 History and Styles of Rock