
Michael Repper (conductor, music director)
Biography:
GRAMMY® winning conductor Michael Repper enjoys an international reputation for his committed and deeply informed performances, energetic stage presence, and a remarkable ability to create an affinity between different ensembles and their audiences. As a music director, Repper aims to build meaningful, long-term projects, and to become embedded in the communities where he serves.
In 2023, Repper became the youngest North American conductor to win a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Orchestral Performance category, for the album Works By Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman (Avie Records, AV2503). He is the only person to have led a youth orchestra to this achievement: the New York Youth Symphony, which Repper conducts on the album. The piano soloist is Michelle Cann.
Repper is currently the Music Director of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and the Northern Neck Orchestra of Virginia, and appears around the world as a guest conductor. Alongside the standard repertoire, Repper is invested in programming new music and showcasing fresh talent. His ensembles have performed dozens of world premieres and pursued innovative commissions, including many Carnegie Hall premieres.
For his growing profile as a conductor, Repper was awarded a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.