Michelle Di Russo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990 |
| Education | Arizona State University, University of Kentucky, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina |
| Occupation | Conductor |
| Website | https://www.michelledirusso.com |
Michelle Di Russo (born 1990 [1] ) is an Argentinian-Italian conductor based in the United States. She has served as associate conductor of the North Carolina Symphony, [2] [3] and associate conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. [4] She is music director-designate of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.
Di Russo was born in Argentina [5] [6] to Italian parents. [7] She earned a degree in orchestral conducting and music production of audiovisual media from Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. [6] [2] [8] She moved to the United States in 2015, [7] where she earned a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Kentucky and a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from Arizona State University. [9] [5] [8]
In 2021, Di Russo joined the North Carolina Symphony as an assistant conductor, [2] and was promoted to associate conductor in 2022, [2] the latter appointment with a contract of two years. [10] She also served as interim director of orchestras at Cornell for the 2021-2022 academic year. [11] [12] In 2024, Di Russo was appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. [13] [4]
Di Russo co-founded Girls Who Conduct, an initiative that promotes gender equality in conducting. [14] [15] In 2021, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra partnered with Girls Who Conduct to launch a fellowship for women conductors. [16] [17] Di Russo was a recipient of a 2024 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. [18]
In November 2023, Di Russo first guest-conducted the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. [7] [19] [20] [21] In March 2025, she returned for a second guest-conducting engagement as one of the four finalists for the post of the orchestra's music director. [22] In May 2025, the orchestra announced the appointment of Di Russo as its next music director, effective with the 2025-2026 season. [23] This appointment marks Di Russo's first leadership post. Di Russo is the first female conductor to be named music director of Delaware Symphony Orchestra. [24]
Di Russo is the recipient of several conducting fellowships: