Albert Eduardus Moehring was born in Amsterdam, Holland (The Netherlands), son of Siemen R. Moehring, Opera Singer (Tenor), in The Netherlands and Toronto, Canada. The family immigrated to Toronto, Canada when Albert was a young boy of 8 years old. Albert Moehring is a pianist and conductor currently working and residing in Mexico.
Early Life
Moehring was born into a musical/artistic family, not only his Opera Singing father, but also related to the World Acclaimed Opera Diva Cristina Deutekom. Additionally, his great uncle was a renowned sculptor in Belgium, Gustaaf Van den Meersche. He was exposed to the world of Opera from birth and himself began the Opera Theater life at age 10 when attending rehearsals with his father at the Canadian Opera Company (COC), Toronto, Canada. The very next year (at age 11), General Director Herman Geiger-Torel asked young Albert to become a member of the Canadian Opera Company. For many seasons Moehring’s repertoire of Opera grew as did his duties with the company, starting as a walk-on stage extra to stage management and score reader positions. This exposure with the COC allowed for direct studies with many acclaimed conductor’s and mentors from: Walter Susskind, Ernesto Barbini, Ettore Mazzoleni, Karl Ancerl, Leo Driehuys (Charlotte Symphony Orchestra) and George Crum, with the National Ballet of Canada.
Albert Moehring by the age of 16 worked with many of Canada’s leading singers, who had also risen within the COC ranks. These now well-known names within world of Opera are: John Arab, Alexander Gray, Mary Morrison, Patricia Rideout, Jan Rubes, Heather Thomson, Jean Bonhomme, Benoit Boutet, Victor Braun, Alan Crofoot, Gwenlynn Little, Richard Cassilly, Ermanno Mauro, Cornelis Opthof, Maria Pellegrini, Louis Quilico, Teresa Stratus, Bernard Turgeon, Jon Vickers and Jeanette Zarou.
Complete Operas Moehring worked on with the COC included: Rigoletto, Macbeth, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Tosca, Turandot, Die Fledermaus, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, The Bartered Bride, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, The Tales of Hoffman, The Barber of Seville and Deirdre at the Royal Conservatory Opera School, among numerous others.
Education
In 1964, Dr. Ettore Mazzoleni, conductor and principal director of the Royal Conservatory of Music at the University of Toronto, encouraged Albert Moehring to continue his studies in Piano Performance with the Conservatory offering a full scholarship. Moehring did so and pursued his Artist Performance Diploma and Bachelor of Music under the guidance of renowned Canadian pianists/composers Srul Irving Glick, Walter Buczynski, and pianist/organist Douglas Bodle. In 1967 and 1968 conductor Walter Susskind offered and Moehring accepted full scholarship for conducting studies at the Aspen School of Music. While studying conducting under Walter Susskind and Leonard Slatkin in Aspen, Moehring took composition classes with composers Charles Jones and Darius Milhaud. Almost immediately, Milhaud appointed Albert Moehring as conductor for the Resident Composers Symposium. Moehring conducted in a number of Festival concerts over his two years in Aspen.
Early Career
While still studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Toronto Opera Society asked and Moehring accepted, to fill their Music Director/Conductor post, where he served for several years. In 1972 and 1973 Albert Moehring became assistant conductor to Maestro Peter Maag at the Metropolitan Opera Company, in the productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.
Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra
Maestro Albert Moehring founded the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra, a 75-85 member symphonic orchestra in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He was Music Director and Conductor of the Philharmonic for 23 years. Using an eclectic programming style, the concert halls were filled to capacity. The orchestra performed in numerous locations around the Charlotte community until Judith Allen, Executive Director of the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center appointed the orchestra as a “resident” company. The Belk Theater in the N.C.B.P.A.C. has a 2,100 seat capacity which Maestro Moehring filled on a regular basis. This became the basis for Moehring and the orchestra to film 6 Public Broadcasting System (PBS) musical specials in the Belk Theater. These PBS Specials aired in 44 states, Canada and Mexico reaching over 95 million households. The largest viewership on PBS was Moehring’s collaboration with Ralna English of the Lawrence Welk TV shows, bringing this Welk family member back to PBS. In addition, Maestro Moehring and the Charlotte Philharmonic recorded 13 CD recordings. These recordings have been sold and distributed to a worldwide market.
In September 2003 Judith Allen of the N.C.B.P.A.C. asked Maestro Moehring to collaborate with the Center and the “Charlotte Shout” Festival in the North America debut of the famous British duo known as “OperaBabes.” Again, the performance was a full house in the 2,100 seat auditorium. Some additional “Pop” artists Moehring performed with in Charlotte were: John Tesh, Yanni and Linda Ronstadt.
Maestro Moehring has performed the magnificent Symphony #3 by Saint-Saens, known as: The Organ Symphony, on numerous occasions. It has been his privilege though to experience the performance with the Ninth Largest Pipe Organ in the world in Calvary Church, Charlotte. After the performance, Creative Loafing of Charlotte wrote on October 22, 2003; “The 10th anniversary has come and gone uptown at the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center without the installation of an organ console to complete the Belk Theater stage. No such problem down on Highway 51 at the gaudy miracle in mauve, Calvary Church. Charlotte Philharmonic adjourned to the cavernous sanctuary for last Saturday night’s Maestro and His Mrs. concert, featuring a rare live performance of Saint-Saens’ famed Organ Symphony. According to maestro Albert Moehring, the latest rankings place the Calvary organ as the ninth largest musical instrument on the planet. So the full force of the fabled fourth movement entrance, with Mrs. Patricia Moehring at the console, was more than just thrilling. It was literally earthshaking. Maestro did a wonderful job with his forces, particularly in the up-tempo and military sections. But I was fortunate to have moved up from the 10th row to the fifth after the preceding Rimsky-Korsakov morsel.”
Taiwan China Tour
In 2000, Maestro Moehring led “The Hollywood Festival (Concert) Orchestra” on a tour of Taiwan, China. This tour of 17 concerts was a sell-out at every stop.
México
The year 2005 marked another international event, when Moehring started guest conducting in México. Two orchestras in particular would be the focus of Maestro Moehring’s work, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México (O.S.E.M.), one of the finest professional orchestra in México, and Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato. Collaboration’s that are ongoing to this day. Maestro Moehring moved to México and he added the following Orchestras to his list as a frequent guest conductor: Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Querétaro , OFUNAM Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata De La UNAM, Mexiquense Symphony Orchestra , Orquesta Sinfónica de Mineria, Orquesta Sinfónica de IPN (Instituto Politécnico Nacional), and Orquesta Sinfónica de Oaxaca. Additionally, in 2018 another Latin American country was added to Maestro Moehring’s list of international orchestras as he conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Guatemala.
Awards
- Spirit Award (2000), Charlotte, NC
- Voted Charlotte’s Best by Charlotte Magazine
- Awarded by the City of Charlotte Proclamation by Mayor Richard Vinroot
- Awarded by the City of Charlotte Proclamation by Mayor Pat McCrory
- Nomination for Ovation Award (National Television)
- PBS Television Special “Christmas Wonderland” submitted for an Emmy Award
Recordings (Discography)
- Timeless Moments (CD)
- Broadway Live (CD)
- Stars and Stripes Forever (CD)
- An American Salute (CD)
- Unforgettable (CD)
- Somewhere in Time (CD)
- Ralna English – “From My Heart” (CD)
- Schumann – Piano Concerto in A minor (CD)
- Bruch – Scottish Fantasy, Op.46 (CD)
- Tenors in the Spotlight (CD)
- Home for the Holidays (CD)
- Christmas Wonderland (CD)
- Holiday Spectacular (CD)
(Videography) and Public Broadcasting Television Specials (PBS)
- Stars and Stripes Forever
- Tenors in the Spotlight
- Ralna English “From My Heart” (aired in 44 states, México and Canada)
- Christmas Wonderland
- Christmas Fantasy
- Holiday Spectacular (Highest rated TV program in Los Angeles 2004)