Michael Stern (born 17 December 1959) is an American conductor. He is currently music director of theNational Repertory Orchestra (Breckenridge, Colorado) and of Orchestra Lumos. He is artistic advisor to theEdmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Iris Collective. He is music director laureate of theKansas City Symphony.
Stern is the son of Vera Stern and the violinistIsaac Stern. He obtained his undergraduate degree inAmerican history fromHarvard College in 1981. Subsequently, he studied under conductorMax Rudolf at theCurtis Institute of Music inPhiladelphia, graduating in 1986. Stern also studied for one summer at theLos Angeles Philharmonic Institute and for two summers at thePierre Monteux Memorial School inHancock, Maine.[1][2]
Stern was an assistant conductor with TheCleveland Orchestra from 1986 to 1991.[3][4] In September 1986, he debuted at theNew York Philharmonic as one of three young conductors in a conducting workshop withLeonard Bernstein.[5]
Stern has served as principal guest conductor of theOrchestre National de Lyon. From 1996 to 2000, Stern was chief conductor of the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, the first American chief conductor in the orchestra's history. His work there is also notable for the orchestra's many recordings of American classical music during his tenure, including discs of works byHenry Cowell andCharles Ives.[citation needed]
In 2000, Stern founded theIRIS Orchestra inGermantown, Tennessee, an ensemble specialist in American contemporary music. He served as its music director until 2022, and is now advisor to the renamed ensemble, the IRIS Collective.
In 2005, Stern became music director of theKansas City Symphony.[6] During Stern's tenure in Kansas City, the orchestra moved to theKauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2011.[7] In March 2014, Stern, the orchestra, and Engage Mobile Solutions used four pairs ofGoogle Glass to record a performance ofBeethoven's 5th Symphony.[8] He served in the post through the 2023-2024 season,[9] and is now music director laureate of the Kansas City Symphony.
In 2019, the Stamford Symphony (renamed Orchestra Lumos in June 2022[10]) appointed Stern as its next music director, effective with the 2020-2021 season, with an initial contract of five seasons.[11] In January 2021, theNational Repertory Orchestra (NRO) inBreckenridge, Colorado announced the appointment of Stern as its next music director.[12][13]
Stern has been married twice. His first marriage was to the oboist Jeannette Bittar.[14] The marriage ended in divorce.[4] Stern's second marriage is to Shelly Cryer. The couple has two daughters and resides in Connecticut.
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| Preceded by | Chief Conductor, Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra 1996–2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Music Director, Kansas City Symphony 2005–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Eckart Preu (Music Director, Stamford Symphony) | Music Director, Orchestra Lumos 2020–present | Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by Carl Topilow | Music Director, National Repertory Orchestra 2021–present | Succeeded by incumbent |
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