An eloquent artist on and off the podium renowned for her captivating performances and dynamic leadership, American conductor Laura Jackson is praised for her creativity, passion, and commitment to music as a source of connection and enrichment for all. A tireless advocate for excellence in performance as well as for music education, she is a true believer in the essential importance of music for the health and vitality of our communities.

Leadership

Laura Jackson was recently appointed Music Director Designate of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and will assume the position of Music Director in July 2027. She also serves as Music Director of the Reno Philharmonic, where she has led the orchestra since 2009.

Selected Guest Engagements

As a guest conductor, Jackson has performed with orchestras across the United States, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia.  Other American appearances include the Buffalo, Detroit, Alabama, San Antonio, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Phoenix, North Carolina, Hawaii, New World, Sacramento, Toledo, Charlottesville, Hartford, Evansville, Berkeley, Richmond, and Flint symphonies.  

International guest engagements include NOSPR-Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra; Germany’s Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie; France’s Orchestre symphonique de Bretagne-Rennes; Canada’s Ontario Philharmonic; the Toronto, Windsor, and Winnipeg symphony orchestras; the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra; and the Czech Republic’s Prague Summer Nights Festival. Jackson is the first American to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra of Algeria by invitation of the U.S. State Department.

New Music & Artistic Innovation

An enthusiastic advocate for contemporary music, Jackson established the Reno Philharmonic’s Composer in Residence program and has led more than fifty orchestra premieres, including seven world premieres and numerous Western premieres. Her programming reflects a strong commitment to expanding the orchestral canon while introducing audiences to important voices of today.

Mentorship

Beyond the concert stage, Jackson is deeply committed to education and mentorship. She serves as an official mentor for the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship, supporting emerging women conductors from around the world. In Reno, she also collaborates with the Davidson Institute to showcase exceptional young instrumentalists in subscription performances.

Education & Early Career

Before her appointment in Reno, Jackson served as Assistant Conductor and League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

She was a Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, an Aspen Conducting Fellow, and one of six conductors selected for the 2009 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview.

Jackson holds master’s and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan and earned her undergraduate degree in violin and conducting from Indiana University.