ABOUT

BRENT BALDWIN is an extraordinarily versatile musician whose talents span the globe as a sought-after conductor, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, and composer. Over the course of his career, he has amassed numerous awards and accolades for his work in a dizzying array of musical genres.

Brent's unique approach to collaborative music-making has led him to work with world-renowned acts, including Big Star, Roky Erickson, Roomful of Teeth, Wilco, the Guitar Orchestra of Europe, Mobley, Alejandro Escovedo, Trail of Dead, REM, and many others. In Texas, he has been a featured artist at prominent events for Fusebox Festival, the Blanton Museum of Art, and the Victoria Bach Festival.

He has played a pivotal role in shaping Austin's vibrant contemporary music scene. This journey began during his graduate school tenure as assistant conductor for the esteemed UT New Music Ensemble and has continued for over two decades through his involvement with Convergence, New Music Co-op, Golden Hornet, Fast Forward Austin, Collide, Thor & Friends, and many more. Brent has premiered numerous large-scale and symphonic world premieres by acclaimed composers, including Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw and multi-Grammy Award-winning artists Glenn Kotche and Adrian Quesada. His active mentorship of young composers and artists has also fostered emerging talent within the Austin arts community, not a few of whom are now noted power players in the scene.

Recognized as a local favorite among critics, Brent earned top honors at the Austin Critics Table Awards in both 2014 and 2016 for his direction of the groundbreaking project Mozart Requiem Undead, marking it as the largest and most acclaimed new music event in Austin's history. His work has garnered praise at the national level from organizations such as New Music USA, Classical Voice North America, and The Voice magazine. In 2019, the Austin Chronicle acknowledged Brent as one of Austin's Top 5 Artistic Directors, alongside heavy-hitters like Michelle Schumann and Austin Symphony conductor Peter Bay. Additionally, he received the title of "Best Choral Wrangler" in the competitive Austin Chronicle Awards.

Currently, Brent serves as the Artistic Director of Unwound Sound, co-Artistic Director of Convergence, and assistant conductor for the Victoria Bach Festival.

“Baldwin took the stage rather gloriously, in a blazer and a Slayer T-shirt underneath. Which conductor in town is so in touch with this city’s cultural quirks as Baldwin?”

— Austin American Statesman