Week 1 • John Morris Russell
John Morris Russell’s embrace of America’s unique voice and musical stories has transformed how orchestral performances connect and engage with audiences. As conductor of the world-renowned Cincinnati Pops Orchestra since 2011, the wide-range and diversity of his work as a musical leader, collaborator and educator continues to reinvigorate the musical scene throughout Cincinnati and across the continent. As Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, Russell conducts the classical series as well as the prestigious Hilton Head International Piano Competition. A Grammy-nominated artist, JMR has worked with leading performers from across a variety of musical genres, including Aretha Franklin, Emanuel Ax, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Garrick Ohlsson, Rhiannon Giddens, Hilary Hahn, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, George Takei, Steve Martin, Brian Wilson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Lea Salonga and Mandy Gonzalez. A popular guest conductor, Russell has worked with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops and the National Symphony of Washington, D.C. He frequently conducts Canadian orchestras including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, and has led the orchestras of Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas and Minnesota; Utah Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Colorado Symphony and New Jersey Symphony. JMR makes his St. Louis Symphony Orchestra debut in 2025. His work in opera and musical theater includes Cincinnati Opera, where he conducted its first production of Hans Krasá's Brundibár, and the world premiere of Blind Injustice, which was released on CD in 2021. He has also worked with Wolf Trap Opera, New York City Ballet and led semi-staged productions of The Music Man and Ragtime with the Cincinnati Pops.
NOI+F 2025 Repertoire:
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Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, “From the New World"
Additional repertoire to be announced!
Week 2 • Unconducted Orchestra
Combining the demands of chamber music with the precision of large scale symphonic repertoire, this special artistic exploration (nationally unique to NOI+F) allows students to craft their own interpretation of a symphonic piece. It ignites artistic ownership many have never experienced. Faculty advisors from various professional ensembles including New York’s Orpheus Chamber Orchestra typically kick off the process with an introductory session about artistic decision-making, collaborative communication and even conflict resolution. Based in Carnegie Hall, the Grammy-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra performs without a conductor and instead rotates artistic direction for each performance.
NOI+F 2025 Unconducted Orchestra Repertoire:
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Igor Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes
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Gian Carlo Menotti: Sebastian Suite
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Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 97 in C Major
Week 2 • Andrew Grams
With a unique combination of intensity, enthusiasm and technical clarity, American conductor Andrew Grams has steadily built a reputation for his dynamic concerts, ability to connect with audiences and long-term orchestra building. He’s the winner of 2015 Conductor of the Year from the Illinois Council of Orchestras and has led orchestras throughout the United States including the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony and the Houston Symphony. Andrew Grams became music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra after an international search in 2013 and recently concluded his tenure there after eight seasons. His charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite of Elgin Symphony audiences. A frequent traveler, Grams has worked extensively with orchestras abroad, including the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the Orchestre National de France, Hong Kong Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra London, the symphony orchestras of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and Het Residentie Orchestra in The Hague, Netherlands. He has led multiple performances of New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and the first performances of the new production of The Nutcracker for the Norwegian National Ballet in Olso. Also an educator, Grams has worked with orchestras at institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, Roosevelt University, the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland and the Amsterdam Conservatorium.
NOI+F 2025 Repertoire:
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Felix Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Additional repertoire to be announced!
Week 3 • Marin Alsop, NOI+F Music Director
One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop is a powerful and inspiring voice. Convinced that music has the power to change lives, she is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and audience development, deep commitment to education and championing of music’s importance in the world. The first woman to serve as the head of major orchestras in the United States, South America, Austria and Great Britain, she is, as The New York Times put it, not only “a formidable musician and a powerful communicator” but also “a conductor with a vision.”
The 2024-25 Season marks Alsop’s sixth as Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, which she leads at Vienna’s Musikverein and Konzerthaus, as well as on recordings, broadcasts and international tours; her second as Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony; her second as Principal Guest Conductor of London’s Philharmonia Orchestra; and her first as Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She is also Chief Conductor of the Ravinia Festival, where she leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s annual summer residencies, and is the first Music Director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F) at the University of Maryland, where she launched a new academy for young conductors and leads the NOI+F Philharmonic each June.
Alsop becomes the first U.S.-born woman to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic when she makes her long-awaited debut with the orchestra in February 2025, leading the world premiere of a new commission from Outi Tarkiainen. Other 2024-25 highlights include an evening devoted to Gustav and Alma Mahler with the Philharmonia Orchestra, a world premiere from Nico Muhly with the New York Philharmonic, a New Year’s Eve concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a reprise of Julia Wolfe’s Her Story with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and return engagements with the symphonies of Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and San Francisco.
NOI+F 2025 Repertoire:
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Jasmine Barnes: Kinsfolknem
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Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection”
This program will be performed twice: at The Clarice and at Washington National Cathedral.
Week 4 • Laura Jackson
An eloquent and articulate artist on and off the podium renowned for her dynamic leadership, energetic performances and progressive vision, American conductor Laura Jackson is praised for her innovation, passion and commitment to the continued growth of the symphonic repertoire and expanding music’s impact within communities. Having served as the fourth Music Director and Conductor of the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra (Reno Phil) since 2009, her contract has been unanimously renewed through the end of 2028-2029 season, ensuring that diverse, compelling repertoire and creative community programming will continue through the organization’s 60th anniversary. A 21st century conductor at home with repertoire from every era, Jackson is recognized for her championing of new music, her creativity with commissions and her commitment to mentoring and encouraging the next generation of musicians, composers and women conductors. She is in her third season as an official mentor to emerging women conductors across the globe in the Taki-Alsop Foundation’s Fellowship program. With the Reno Phil, she also partners with the Davidson Institute in Reno Nevada to feature their instrumental fellows in concert. A frequent guest conductor, she has led distinguished ensembles across the United States, Canada, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Algeria and China, and her relationships with orchestras continue to expand.
A champion of living composers, Laura Jackson created the Reno Philharmonic’s Composers in Residence initiative and has commissioned and presented several world premieres. She has led over 50 Reno Phil premieres and multiple Western U.S. premieres. Under her leadership, the Reno Phil has expanded its community and education programs to include the Composers in Residence, Conduct Us, movies with live orchestra performances, the annual Play for a Day and the youth orchestras have expanded from three to five ensembles. Additionally, live streaming of concerts was introduced in 2020.
NOI+F 2025 Repertoire:
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Maurice Ravel: La Valse
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Anna Clyne: Palette
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor
Week 5 • David Danzmayr
Described by ´The Herald´ as "extremely good, concise, clear, incisive and expressive," David Danzmayr is widely regarded as one of the most exciting European conductors of his generation. Danzmayr is in his second season as Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, having started his tenure there in the orchestra´s 125th anniversary season. He also stands at the helm of the versatile ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Columbus, an innovative orchestra comprised of musicians from all over the U.S. In addition, he holds the title of Honorary Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he had served as Chief Conductor–leading the Zagreb musicians on several European tours with concerts in the Salzburg Festival Hall, where they performed the prestigious New Year´s concert and the Vienna Musikverein.
David has won prizes at some of the world´s most prestigious conducting competitions including at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition and at the International Malko Conducting Competition. In recognition of his successes he has been awarded the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum. Propelled into a far reaching international career, Danzmayr has quickly become a sought after guest conductor having worked in America with the symphonies of Cincinnati, Minnesota, St. Louis, Seattle, Baltimore, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Detroit, North Carolina, San Diego, Colorado, Utah, Milwaukee, New Jersey, the Pacific Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Houston Symphony and Grant Park Music Festival. In Europe David has lead the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Mozarteum Orchester, Essener Philharmoniker, Hamburger Symphoniker, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony, Salzburg Chamber Philharmonic, Bruckner Orchester Linz, and the Radio Symphony Orchestras of Vienna and Stuttgart.
NOI+F 2025 Repertoire:
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Viet Cuong: John and Jim
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Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra
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Richard Strauss: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
This program will be performed twice: at The Clarice and at Washington National Cathedral.