Patrick Dupre Quigley, conductor/arranger/composer/producer, is Founder and Artistic Director of Seraphic Fire, and Artistic Director of the period instrument opera company Opera Lafayette.

Quigley is known for his engaging performances of historically-informed programming that draw in new audiences and delight regular concertgoers. A ceaseless advocate for a more inclusive concert experience, Quigley’s programs regularly span more than 1000 years of musical history.   This season with Opera Lafayette and OperaCréole, Quigley will give the world premiere of Edmond Dédé’s 1887 French grand opera Morgiane, ou, Le Sultan d’Ispahan, the earliest extant opera by a Black American, and with Seraphic Fire will give the modern world premiere of 18th century composer Mariana  Martines’s O, virgo, cui salutem for soprano and orchestra.

Recent and upcoming programs include Bach’s orchestral suites with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Chicago’s Music of the Baroque; return engagements with the Charlotte Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and New World Symphony; and conducting debuts with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, and Rhode Island Philharmonic.

Other guest conducting invitations have come from The Cleveland Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony,  Mobile Symphony, ARTIS Naples, New Jersey Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, San Francisco Symphony and the Utah Symphony.

Quigley holds an undergraduate degree in Music Theory and History from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Music degree in conducting from the Yale School of Music. He has assisted Michael Tilson Thomas in rehearsals, performances, and recordings at the San Francisco Symphony.  Quigley is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and currently resides in Washington, D.C. 

ADAMS, JOHN | Shaker Loops | Firebird Chamber Orchestra

“[Quigley] was an excellent guide as usual…The performance was taut and athletic…Quigley whipped up the excitement in the orchestra, and the musicians responded with sharp, percussive attacks that brought fine clarity and energy to the performance.” — Miami Herald

BACH, J.S. | Brandenburg Concerti | Firebird Chamber Orchestra

“Patrick Dupré Quigley led the Firebird [Chamber Orchestra] in all-Bach evening…a wonderful 75 minutes of peerless music, peerlessly played…To hear this great music played so well, and so freshly and energetically, was an unalloyed delight, and long overdue for area audiences.” — Palm Beach Arts Paper

                  | Mass in B minor | Firebird Chamber Orchestra/Seraphic Fire

“The performance [Quigley] led was all one could hope for in this work – joyful with thumping timpani and gleaming trumpets, radiant in the choir’s singing of Bach’s otherworldly harmonies and majestic in passages of choral grandeur… Quigley and the performers suffused it with a warm humanity…T]his is clearly one of the finest performances of the year.” — Miami Herald

“Simply astonishing. Here was a muscular, joyous reading of this seminal work, sung by 17 singers who bounced along and smiled all the way through, and accompanied by a flexible Firebird Chamber Orchestra that could whisper intimately one moment and unleash the heavens the next...Quigley judged all of these dramatic alterations in the sonic fabric expertly, and that showed that this was an ensemble fully in control of this hugely difficult music and not mastered by it. So completely did the performers own it that it seemed impossible to believe that a piece this alive and this vibrant could be nearly 300 years old.”

— Palm Beach Arts Paper

| Orchestral Suite No. 3 | Music of the Baroque

“Quigley opened the concert with a crisply vivacious account of J.S. Bach’s First Orchestral Suite for strings, woodwinds and organ-harpsichord continuo (BWV 1066). The guest conductor saw to it that dance rhythms had proper lift and he paid particularly close attention to dynamic contrasts, thereby avoiding any hint of textural monotony. What’s more, his tempos all felt judicious, neither too brisk nor too slow, with prominent contributions from the excellent oboe pair and bassoon.”

| Orchestral Suite in D major | New World Symphony

"Quigley was even more impressive leading [the New World Symphony in] J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D Major…Utilizing an ensemble of twenty-eight players, he launched the Overture in exhilarating fashion, with brilliant playing by the three exultant trumpets and solo violin… Quigley brought idiomatic Baroque stylishness to Bach’s rousing score, the strings’ lightness of touch infusing the music with joy and lilt."

— South Florida Classical Review

“Bach’s Suite No. 3 unfolded sweetly under Quigley’s baton, especially the widely known second-movement air.” — San Antonio Express-News

               | St. John Passion | Firebird Chamber Orchestra/Seraphic Fire

“One of artistic director Patrick Dupre Quigley’s finest achievements…The depth and sensitivity of Quigley’s conducting combined operatic dramatic intensity with an impeccable sense of Baroque style…superb playing [by] the Firebird Chamber Orchestra.” — Miami Herald

“Wonderful...a compelling, moving reading of the St. John Passion of J.S. Bach with thorough expertise and polish…Quigley and his forces brought the whole thing home with a rapturous Ruht wohl, which got increasingly gorgeous with each repetition... It stands with some of this group’s finest work”

— Palm Beach Arts Paper

               | St. Matthew Passion | Seraphic Fire

"Quigley blended the orchestral and choral forces skillfully. His moderate tempo in the great opening chorus allowed the music to work its deeply moving spell...The many reflective chorales that provide commentary on the story benefited from Quigley’s supple play of dynamics and natural pacing...shaped with unhurried breadth by Quigley and displaying the entire ensemble’s beautifully integrated warmth of expression. This was the pinnacle of a consistently engrossing and intense reading." — Lawrence Budmen, South Florida Classical Review

         | All-Bach Program | Seraphic Fire

"The opening chorus of Cantata No. 62 “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland” (Now come, Savior of the heathens) demonstrated Quigley’s skilled balancing of the chorus with the instrumental ensemble....Quigley led his singers and musicians in an inspired performance. Sheer joy pervaded the opening chorus....Quigley was repeatedly recalled by an unusually enthusiastic, nearly full house.”—South Florida Classical Review

BRAHMS | Requiem | Seraphic Fire

“Deploying a 21-voice choir, Quigley brought out the warmth and depth of expression in Brahms’ melodic lines...Quigley is masterful at delineating contrapuntal writing….the culmination of a deeply moving performance and one of Quigley’s finest efforts.”— Lawrence Budmen, South Florida Classical Review

 HANDEL | Dixit Dominus | Music of the Baroque

“Quigley brought out its youthful full-bloodedness in a reading brimming with dramatic energy and harmonic surprises. He clearly knows the style inside and out and he managed to infuse the chamber choir (prepared by director Andrew Megill), chamber orchestra and chorus soloists with comparable commitment.” – Chicago Classical Review

 | Messiah | Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

"Quigley's Baroque-sized orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir followed his dictates with great precision in treading from slow to fast and from soft to loud...Quigley has a first-class conducting talent…"

— Tom Aldridge, Nuvo

             | Messiah | San Francisco Symphony

Patrick Dupre Quigley, making an exciting SFS appearance as conductor in recent performances, stressed the qualities that caused Messiah to create such a stir in the first place. Exuding youthful poise and clear control, he mastered the dramatic arc of the narrative strikingly and blew the dust off pages that often sound overfamiliar…one of the most successful blends of "authentic" and modern interpretations I can recall…a welcome and wonderfully fresh enactment that satisfied both purists and first-timers.

— Philip Campbell, The Bay Area Reporter

HAYDN | Nelsonmesse | Seraphic Fire

“Quigley’s keen sense of tempo and pacing matched his skill at vocal balancing. Under his lively direction, Haydn’s music seemed to leap off the page and resound with depth and vigor.” — Miami Herald

           | Symphony No. 45, “Farewell” | Seraphic Fire/The Sebastians

“Conductor Quigley brought out the contrasts and manipulations of themes and harmonies that eventually became the defining formal element of the symphony, “sonata form.” — Palm Beach Arts Paper

           | Te Deum | Seraphic Fire

“The concert opened with a crisp reading of the Te Deum for Empress Marie Theresa, the exultant choral sound and vigorous string playing splendidly shaped by Quigley.” — Miami Herald

“[T]he instrumentals’ techniques, as manifested in solo playing and team precision, were exemplary. This was evident in the piece that opened the program, a joyous, brief “Te Deum” composed for the Empress Maria Theresa, delivered with musical accuracy and infectious exuberance.” — Palm Beach Arts Paper

MOZART | Exsultate, Jubilate | New World Symphony

"Mozart’s motet Exultate, Jubilate, the featured work on Friday’s first program, found Quigley drawing crisp playing from the chamber-sized [New World Symphony]. Mozart’s inner instrumental voices emerged with transparent clarity, and the elegant phrasing of the two oboes took special honors amid the refined and energetic orchestral performance. The blending of the soprano voice and strings in the central Andante was exquisite, with Quigley’s finely balancing timbres." — Miami Herald

| Requiem | Cleveland Orchestra

“Particularly impressive was Quigleyʼs command of such a large choral group, showing fingertip control of the dynamics and maintaining a vibrant, passionate quality in the singing through even the gentlest passages…Itʼs rare for a visiting conductor to show the level of technical mastery Quigley achieved in limited rehearsal time. The sound was transparent and expertly balanced, with the large chorus…never overwhelming the music or soloists. Almost magically, a scaled-down (but still sizable) version of the orchestra was transformed into a period ensemble, providing graceful melodies and driving continuo that both propelled the music and traded leading roles with the chorus.” — Frank Kuznik, bachtrack

“Quigley presented an intensely dramatic view of Mozart's last work…the sonic result of Friday night's performance hit the ears with an impact that could not have been gainsaid.”

— Mark Satloa, Cleveland Plain Dealer

ORFF | Carmina Burana | New World Symphony

“A more sensitive performance than is often heard with this work…Quigley faced the tension between Orff’s character and his work head on.” — Miami Herald

“Conductor Patrick Dupré Quigley led vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire and the New World Symphony in a performance of Orff’s magnum opus that gave listeners all they could want from every part of this indelible work. Whether a movement called for intimacy, spectacle or profundity, Seraphic Fire, New World, and the soloists fit the mood precisely and convincingly. Quigley treated large sections cohesively, yet within these, contrasts in color and dynamics led to a captivating reading which was ultimately effective and moving….

“After sauntering through the middle sections, at the reprise of O Fortuna, Quigley led the ensemble at full steam ahead, but with a firm grip on the air of roughness and total abandon, closing the night to raucous applause with an immediate standing ovation.”

       —South Florida Classical Review

PÄRT | Passio | Seraphic Fire

“Quigley…had strict and admirable control of his forces, who made their entrances with exemplary precision.”— Greg Stepanich, Palm Beach Arts Reporter

“Quigley led a superb performance that gave equal weight to the beauty of the score’s vocal writing and the spacious momentum that defines Pärt’s inexorable musical invention…Quigley smoothly coordinated the vocal and instrumental balances, keeping the volume and musical flow steady throughout Pärt’s musical discourse.” .”— Lawrence Budmen, South Florida Classical Review

PERGOLESI | La serva padrona/Stabat Mater } Opera Lafayette

"The common denominator across these two halves was the brilliant musical direction of guest conductor Quigley. In La serva padrona, his ability to execute fine detail and dynamic shading from the highly responsive Opera Lafayette Orchestra delivered an exciting sense of transparency in the orchestral score.

From the opening movement of the Stabat Mater, Quigley communicated that this was theatrical music in its own right, heightening the contrast between a mournful dirge in the lower instruments and sharp descending figures in the violins. Quigley leaned into Pergolesi’s decadent suspended harmonies with abandon in moments...his sensitive use of rubato throughout giving breath and dimension to the music.”

          —Washington Classical Review

"The orchestra’s delivery on both under Maestro Quigley’s leadership was engaging and enjoyable throughout the evening....

"The OL orchestra under Mr. Quigley’s direction brought Pergolesi’s music fully to life tightly intertwined with the vocals.  The performance overall was simply exquisite."
                                        —OperaGene

PRAETORIUS/TELEMANN/CPE BACH/RAMEAU/JS BACH | Music of the Baroque

"An entertaining evening is virtually guaranteed whenever Patrick Dupre Quigley visits Chicago to conduct the Music of the Baroque orchestra...At this event, Quigley earned MOB’s Visiting Conductor Medal.” —Third Coast Review

"Quigley led the orchestra with alert authority and confidence, favoring fleet tempos and eliciting bracing textures...He also showed himself his own man with the stage setup, splitting winds and brass off from the string orchestra and placing them further back for better separation and a more congenial blend. Quigley was an engaging interlocutor as well, vamping easily without notes as the stage was reset after the first piece." —Chicago Classical Review

"Quigley’s approach to all of the music fascinated me....a great performance, precise and detailed, [with] enough variety to suit everyone’s taste"—Around the Town Chicago

REICH | The Desert Music | New World Symphony

"Quigley, Seraphic Fire and the New World brought this impressive score to vivid and engaging life...Contemporary music, as much as the sacred polyphony of the past, is in good hands with Quigley."

— Greg Stepanich, The Palm Beach Arts Reporter

STRAVINSKY | Threni: Lamentations of Jeremiah | Seraphic Fire/Cleveland Orch. | Franz Welser-Most, cond.

"Arguably the group's smartest decision was hiring Seraphic Fire to join its first performance of Stravinsky's "Threni: Lamentations of Jeremiah…The six Miami-based vocalists who sang the solo roles helped elevate what could have been a drab and brutal reading of a 12-tone rite into a surprisingly listenable and spellbinding experience…But oh, those guests from Seraphic Fire. They did what so few singers can: make serialism sound natural. Theirs was the rare 12-tone performance that transcended technique and operated solely on the level of real music." — Zachary Lewis, The Cleveland Plain Dealers

TCHAIKOVSKY | Serenade for Strings | Seraphic Fire

“Firebird was plenty large enough to give a rousing reading of this thrice-familiar piece, and it went well with Tchaikovsky’s neoclassical inclinations, sympathies that bring this work close to the world of the Mozart divertimento…[Quigley] kept the high emotion of the opening theme fully present. He also gave plenty of rein to the Italianisms present in this part of the Serenade (Tchaikovsky loved traveling in Italy), and the orchestra made them rich and pretty.” — Palm Beach Arts Paper