Michelle Di Russo

Jump to:
• DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY • DOWNLOAD PHOTOGRAPHY • MEDIA • LINKS

BIOGRAPHY

A graceful yet powerful force on the podium, Argentinian-Italian conductor Michelle Di Russo is known for her compelling interpretations, passionate musicality, and championing of contemporary music. Di Russo is thrilled to have been named Music Director of the Delaware Symphony, being the sixth music director in its 119-year history and to begin her tenure in the 25/26 season. Di Russo was appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony by Robert Spano in 2024 and is a two-time recipient of the The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. She has held several conducting fellowships at prestigious institutions including being a Dudamel Fellow with LA Philharmonic, a mentee of the Taki Alsop Fellowship and a conducting fellow of the Verbier Festival, the Chicago Sinfonietta and The Dallas Opera Hart Institute.

This season’s highlights include guest conducting engagements with the Knoxville Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony and a return to The Dallas Opera Hart Institute as part of their 10th year anniversary. She will also be the assistant conductor for the production of Aida with Washington National opera and will be returning to cover for Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil. This summer Di Russo will be guest conducting at Prague Summer Nights in a shared concert with Marin Alsop and collaborating with principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ricardo Morales. She will be a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and return to the Lucerne Festival Academy to be a part of the Roche Young Commissions where she was selected to be a part of a two-year project.

Di Russo has guest conducted LA Phil, San Diego Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Portland Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic and worked as cover conductor for the National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, LA Phil and NY Phil. She has held positions as Associate Conductor with North Carolina Symphony assisting Carlos Miguel Prieto, Interim Director of Orchestras at Cornell University, and is conducting fellow alumni of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and a Joel Revzen fellow of the Napa Valley Festival. As part of her work as a conducting fellow at the Verbier Festival she assisted and worked closely with Simon Rattle, Klaus Mäkelä and Lahav Shani.

2025/2026
Please do not make any changes, omissions or additions, unless authorized by artist management.

Download Artist Biography