Born and raised in the prairie town of Galesburg, Illinois, Maurice grew up surrounded by family and friends who had wide-ranging interests in all kinds of music. Thanks to a wonderful teacher nearby, he fell in love with the cello at age four. Middle school and high school included important affairs with other instruments—notably piano and trombone—but cello won the day, leading to a B.M. in cello performance at Oberlin Conservatory. While at Oberlin, he started working for the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras as a cello teacher and conductor, and became increasingly drawn to conducting.
After graduation, Maurice pursued further training in conducting, including an M.M. from the Eastman School of Music and two summers as a conducting fellow at the Aspen Music Festival. A 2020 recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Maurice currently serves as Assistant Conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and is a regular guest conductor with the Chicago-based contemporary ensemble Zafa Collective. Recent and upcoming engagements include returning to conduct Oberlin Conservatory’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, serving as cover conductor for the Atlanta and National Symphonies, and a return to the Aspen Music Festival as Assistant Conductor for the 2022 season.
In addition to his training in cello and conducting, Maurice holds a B.A. from Oberlin College, where he studied history and mathematics. When not conducting or playing cello, you can find him reading mystery novels, playing tennis, or continually searching for the best podcast app.
