Czech-American conductor Bohuslav Rattay is a busy ambassador for classical music, working with 
orchestras across the globe to produce symphonic works of all kinds to a diverse audience. 
Currently serving as Music Director of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the Midland Symphony 
Orchestra of Michigan, he has gained a reputation as one of the finest talents of his generation. Mr. 
Rattay combines impassioned and virtuosic musicianship with a determination to bring great music 
into the lives of all people.

Mr. Rattay strives to enthusiastically promote both the traditional and innovative aspects of classical 
music together in a manner exciting and fresh for the audience. He is designs unique concert 
programs, incorporating special audience discussions and multi-media elements. He is also 
appreciated for his passion for the classics, with special appreciation often given to his insightful 
understanding of the music of his native Bohemia. Critics have praised Rattay for his ability to 
communicate the depth and diversity of music to his audience, acclaiming: “Rattay is certainly the 
man for Tchaikovsky’s fourth” (Charleston Today), and for the fashionable, “Watching him conduct is 
like watching a painter creating rich imagery to live music on a large canvas” (El Paso Times). His 
programming is intelligent and expansive, allowing him to connect to a broad range of audience, 
thus creating new symphony-goers while entertaining the enthusiasts.
Rattay’s talents and abilities are highly praised. He is internationally acclaimed by critics and 
audiences alike for his fresh and inspired musical interpretations. He has received accolades for his 
“vibrant” performances and his “elegant panache,” (Charleston City Paper), his ability to lead the 
orchestra with his “infectious zest and physicality,” (Midland Daily News), and his one-of-a-kind 
artistry, bringing “personal perspective... that will be remembered for many years,” (Duluth News 
Tribune).

His overflowing passion for classical music is highly solicited, appearing as guest conductor with the 
Colorado Symphony, the Duluth-Superior Symphony, the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Bogota 
Sinfonica de Colombia, the Antalya Symphony in Turkey, and the Teplice Philharmonic in his native 
Czech Republic. Other recent engagements include the Virginia Symphony, West Michigan 
Symphony, the Irving Symphony Orchestra, Prague’s Dvořák Symphony Orchestra, and the 
Charleston (SC) Symphony, where he received several critical accolades. He has also conducted 
the National Symphony Orchestra as part of the National Conducting Institute and was selected by 
the American Symphony Orchestra League to participate in its Conducting Fellowship Program.

Believing in the power of education, Mr. Rattay is a committed pedagogue of the younger 
generations. He recently joined the music faculty at the University of Texas at El Paso, and has been 
a faculty member of the College of William and Mary, Ball State University, and youth orchestras 
across the United States. The combination of his youthful energy along with his conducting skills 
make him highly valued as an inspirational mentor.

Mr. Rattay holds degrees from the Prague Conservatory, Rice University and the Peabody Institute 
of Music. He names Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, Benjamin Kamins, and Neeme Jarvi as his most 
influential teachers