Renowned American conductor Richard Buckley has been heralded by critics across the world for his dynamic contributions and passionate conducting style in both the orchestral and operatic genres. His extraordinary career includes performing with: Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Canadian Opera Company and L'Opéra de Montréal. He has enjoyed return engagements at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, L'Opéra National de Paris, Hamburg Statsoper, National Theatre of Mannheim, Teatro Colon, Royal Danish Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Göteborg Opera, Norwegian National Opera, De Nederlandse Opera and Teatro San Carlo Lisbon, among many others. Mo. Buckley’s engaging interpretations have been heard with some of the world’s finest orchestras including: the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Toronto, Utah and Seattle.

Maestro Buckley has toured with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; conducted a gala with the Berlin Radio Symphony which was televised nationally and recorded for Koch-Schwann; and appeared with the BBC Philharmonic in the "Great Composers" series for BBC Television. He has also had guest appearances with the Prague Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Hallé Orchestra, L'Orchestre National de Lyon, Ulster Orchestra, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary Philharmonic. In addition to his many impressive guest conducting engagements, Mo. Buckley has served as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Music Director of the Oakland Symphony, and Principal Conductor of Opera Cleveland.

Mo. Buckley was Artistic Director of Austin Lyric Opera from September 2003 until July 2007. He brought national attention to this company by spearheading a city wide Shostakovich Festival in 2006, bringing new works into the repertoire including Elektra and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and producing the American premiere of Glass’ Waiting for the Barbarians. He continues his work in Austin as Principal Conductor.

Most recent engagements include The Grapes of Wrath with Pittsburgh Opera, Tosca at the Canadian Opera Company and Opera Cleveland, Aida and Don Carlo at the Cincinnati Opera, Rigolettowith Arizona Opera and Austin Lyric Opera, I Pagliacci with Opera Omaha, and La Boheme, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Hansel and Gretel and L’Etoile with Austin Lyric Opera. In the 2010-2011 season, he conducts Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci at the Kentucky Opera, a “Sing for the Cure” concert at Opera Omaha, and La Traviata, L’Italiana in Algeri, and Jonathan Dove’s Flight in Austin.

Known for taking opera to a new level, Buckley continues to be a strong supporter of new works. He premiered Bright Sheng's The Song of Manjun, Stephen Paulus' The Woodlandersand The Woman at Otowi Crossing, and led the United States premiere of Aulis Sallinen's The King Goes Forth to France. He conducted and a newly revised version of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra and Martin Levy’s Mourning Becomes Elektra.