A native of Costa Rica, Walter Morales is the Music Director of the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra.  A champion of new music, Morales served as Music Director and Conductor of the Carnegie MellonContemporary Ensemble from 2003 to 2009.  He has collaborated with such composers as John Adams, George Crumb, Richard Danielpour, Derek Bermel, GarySchocker, Katherine Hoover, Mike Mower, Diefer Kieffer, Reza Vali, NancyGalbraith, David Stock, Amy Williams, Roger Zahab, Eli Tamar, Leonardo Balada, and Zulema de la Cruz among others.

An active concert pianist, Morales has toured through out the United States, Central and South America. In New York City he has performed at Steinway Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Lincoln Center. He has performed as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic,Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble, McKeesport Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Mellon Virtuosi, Princeton Pro Musica, University of Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra,College of Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and the International Piano Series Orchestra among others.

Morales is the foremost interpreter of Costa Rican musicin the United States, having championed such contemporary composers as Alejandro Cardona, Eddie Mora, Vinicio Meza, Benjamin Gutierrez, Bernal Flores,Luis Diego Herra, Mario Alfagúell, William Porras, and Marvin Camacho as well as the entire piano works of Alejandro Monestel, Julio Fonseca and FélixMata. 

His first commercial recording featuring George Crumb’s MakrokosmosIII: Music for a Summer Evening is available on Mode Records.  In June 2007, this recording received the Diapason d’or, the highest phonographic award in France.  Recent releases include “Small Bear, Large Telescope,”featuring several ensemble works by American composer Carson Cooman, “Season Within,” a premiere recording of selected works by composer Marilyn Taft Thomas, and the first recording of Tlanehuatl, Books I & II by Costa Rican composer Alejandro Cardona in the Quindecim label.