Patrick Summers

Patrick Summers (born August 14, 1963) is an American conductor best known for his work as Artistic and Music Director of Houston Grand Opera and as Principal Guest Conductor of San Francisco Opera.

Summers was born in Washington, Indiana and raised in Loogootee, Indiana. He graduated from the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in music in 1986. Upon graduation, he participated in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program as an apprentice coach in 1986 and 1987, and won the Otto Guth Memorial Award for excellence in vocal coaching both years. Summers' first professional engagement, with San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theater, was conducting La bohème in their 1986/87 season. Following that performance, he was made musical director of the Western Opera Theater until 1989. He led the Western Opera Theater on its 1987 tour to China – the first time a Western opera company visited the country. In 1988, Summers conducted the Chinese premiere of Puccini's Tosca in Shanghai. In 1989, he began his tenure as the music director of the San Francisco Opera Center, a training program for young singers; his first main-stage production, Die Fledermaus, was in 1990. During his time at the Opera Center, Summers helped develop the Pacific Voices program. In 1994, his final year at the Opera Center, Summers had his debut with Opera Australia, conducting La Cenerentola. In 1999, he was named the Principal Guest Conductor of San Francisco Opera. Summers is still active with San Francisco Opera, most recently conducting Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick.

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