Born in the tropical country of Honduras, Central America. Dr. Raúl Munguía is known both as a conductor and violinist. He is the newly appointed Director of Orchestras & Strings Studies at Nazareth University following a tenured position of eleven years at Pittsburg State University, in Pittsburg, Kansas leading the Southeast Kansas Symphony Orchestra, the Conducting and the Applied Violin/Viola studios.
His journey reached new heights when he earned an honorary mention at the Respighi Prize for Conducting in New York City organized by the prestigious Chamber Orchestra of New York

​

Throughout his illustrious career, he has waved his baton across the globe, leading orchestras with precision and passion. From the cultural richness of Serbia, where he conducted the Belgrade Chamber Orchestra, to the vibrant musical landscape of Mexico with the Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata, to the beautiful South American Country of Chile at the San Vicente Music Festival.

​

His dedication to nurturing young talent and fostering a love for classical music is evident in his work with the Joven Camerata de El Salvador, the Festival de Música Docta San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, the Victoriano López Chamber and Symphony in Honduras, among others. As an educator, Munguía has not only conducted college and high school orchestras but also inspired countless individuals to embrace the transformative power of music at many All County & Regional Music Educator’s ensembles.  

​

Dr. Munguía completed his advanced conducting degrees at Texas Tech University and Northwestern State University of Louisiana. His teachers have included Dr. Andrew George, Dr. Bruce Woods, Dr. Douglas Bakenhus, and Dr. Jay Dean. Munguía has worked in a master class setting with Dirk Brosse, Salvatore Di Vittorio, John Farrer, ToshiyukiShimada, and Martin Arkernall, among others. A passionate about the opera genre, Munguía has been able to maintain an active opera conducting schedule that includes educational & professional productions of La Boheme, Elixir of Love, Gianni Schicchi, Carmina Burana, Susannah, Pirates of Penzance, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, and more recently, Dialogues of the Carmelites. Munguía has also led productions of the Nutcracker with the Memorial Auditorium in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

​

Not limited to his studies in orchestral conducting, Dr. Munguía earned performance degrees on Violin from USM & NSU that allow him to perform regularly with different orchestras in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He has also performed with prestigious organizations including the Paraguay National Symphony, the Asunción Music Festival, the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony, the San Pedro Sula Chamber Orchestra, and the Victoriano Lopez Music Conservatory, among others. He also performs regularly as Duo Capriccioso with flautist Denissa Rivas where they explore the music of Latin American Composers.

His creative scholarly endeavors span from new music on violin & viola to premiering several symphonic works by composers Barbara York and H. John Hartmann and can be heard on genesissymphony.com. He is also the founder of the Pittsburg Summer Music Festival held yearly since 2013 in the city of Pittsburg, Kansas; founder of the Honduras Conducting Workshop held in Yojoa Lake, Honduras, & founder member of Le Quattro Strings. His future projects with the Genesis International Symphony include performances in Honduras, Australia, El Salvador, Canada, & the United States. 

​

You can read more about Dr. Munguìa at www.raulmunguia.com