J. Aaron Hardwick

Orchestra Director and Assistant Professor of Music, Wake Forest University
James “Aaron” Hardwick has established a reputation as an outstanding conductor, educator, and collaborator — setting himself apart with his engaging, charismatic and musically precise approach on and off the podium. Highly versatile and musically insightful, his artistic collaborations span multiple genres including standard classical repertoire, musical theater, opera, video game music, popular music, and new works.

As a Professional Conductor & Musician

Hardwick has worked with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Ruebush Brass Ensemble, Brevard Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Williamsburg Symphony, Aiken Symphony Orchestra, CICA (Collaborations in Contemporary Art) Ensemble, Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony, University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra, East Carolina University Symphony Orchestra, Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia, among others. He was a finalist for the 2021 Erno Lányi International Conducting Competition and participated in the 2020 European Union International Conducting Competition. He is an Eastman School of Music Summer Conducting Fellow with the Rochester Philharmonic, and a two-time Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina Conducting Fellow. As a professional violist, he has performed with the New York City Ballet Company, Shenandoah Summer Music Theater, Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony, University of South Carolina (UofSC) Opera, UofSC Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Philharmonic and Aiken Symphony Orchestras.

Concerning Video Games & Music

In 2020, Hardwick developed the first Video Game Music course offered at Shenandoah University bridging the gap between the Shenandoah Conservatory and Shenandoah University School of Business. Within a year, he led the first-ever research collaboration between music performance and esports entitled “We Play Together: A Collaboration between Music & Esports.” The project won the Shenandoah University Research Expo (SURE) Award and went on to be featured with the Esports Research Network (ERN) in Sweden. Most recently, he created, “Full Lobby, LLC” a company designed to build creative concert series for symphony orchestras that includes live performance of video game music, and new works. Hardwick is a casual and competitive gamer, former Apex Legends coach, and current advisor for the Wake Forest University Esports Association and Dash City Gaming in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

As an Educator

Passionate about collaboration and music education, Hardwick spearheaded the interdisciplinary concert series, “Paving the Way” with the Wake Forest Symphony Orchestra in 2022. The series seeks to change how symphonic music concerts are curated by collaborating with other scholars, building a narrative around the music that is performed, and elevating underrepresented composers and artists. He was named one of Hampton Roads’ “Most Outstanding Music Educators” two years in a row by the Virginia Symphony, was nominated by the Grammy Foundation® and the Recording Academy® as a quarterfinalist for the Music Educator Award in 2014, and received the Distinguished Music Educator’s Award from Yale University in 2011. He continues to work with youth ensembles, educators, and community members as a conductor and clinician.

As a Scholar

Published in 2021, his research entitled “Performing Game Sound: The American Symphony Orchestra and Video Game Music” explores live Video Game Music performance by symphonies and how Video Game Music can help orchestras diversify programming, build audiences and audience engagement, and aid in financial sustainability. His article “A Walkthrough: Connecting Gaming and Your Performance Ensembles” was featured in the North Carolina Music Educators Journal (Summer 2022) and explores how music teachers can engage with their students through video game music. He continues to teach and develop the Video Game Music class, (now taught at Wake Forest University) which has been host to a number of leading video game composers. His research and future publications grow as he continues to develop this course.

Concerning Credentials

Hardwick received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Conducting) at Shenandoah Conservatory. He earned a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from East Carolina University. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Esports Management from Shenandoah University. He is a professional conductor and recently appointed Orchestra Director and an Assistant Professor of Music at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

J. Aaron Hardwick is represented by AK Artist Management.
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