Munguia named conductor of second symphony

Associate Professor Raul Munguia has been named the new Iola Area Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor.  

Munguia, who teaches in the Pitt State Music Department, is also the director of the Southeast Kansas Symphony and performs violin and viola with three orchestras in Northwest Arkansas. 

A strong advocate of music education, he also has served as a clinician, guest conductor, and coach for several District and Honor orchestras in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and his native Honduras. And, he has been an active guest conductor with orchestras in El Salvador, Chile, and Brazil.

The Iola Area Symphony Orchestra draws community members from throughout Southeast Kansas, including Chanute, Humbolt, and Yates Center, as well as Kansas City.  

“It is an honor and brings a great sense of responsibility as well as excitement. I’ll get to shape, in a small way, the arts in Allen County and beyond.”  

Munguia will be busy: The SEK Symphony is set to perform at least four live concerts this season at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts: Oct. 17, Dec. 2 (holiday), Feb. 11 and 13 (opera), and March 26 (with Aubrey Logan of Postmodern Jukebox). Details: www.bicknellcenter.com