Career
After working as a Conducting Assistant for the Spokane Symphony for two years, [1] she became the Assistant Conductor for Youth Concerts at the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1984 to 1987 and excitedly accepted her childhood idol's former position,Music Director of Carnegie Hall's Young People's Concerts,which she led for twelve years [1]
In 1986,she applied [2] for the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.
She married Governor Gaston Caperton in May 1990. While continuing to serve full-time at both the Wheeling Symphony and Carnegie Hall,Worby took on several additional projects as First Lady of West Virginia. She created and hosted the nationally acclaimed Arts and Letters Series,an admission-free,live series,broadcast on public television which presented Carl Sagan,Tom Wicker,Jesse Jackson,Bob Woodward,Taylor Branch,Harry Belafonte,The American Boy Choir and dozens of other notable individuals. She also led the statewide campaign,"Thanks A Million",to raise one million dollars to eradicate illiteracy and created The Governor's School for the Arts in perpetuity. [3]
Worby returned to California and worked as music director of the Pasadena POPS from 2000 to 2010,where she continued her work as a dedicated orchestra builder. Her leadership increased the number of annual concerts and audience attendance while simultaneously securing ongoing funding to institute free-to-the-public concerts and expand outreach programs to underserved communities.
She enjoys a musical relationship and personal friendship with American soprano Jessye Norman. They appear together at music festivals and concert halls throughout the world. At Jessye Norman's request,Worby conducted the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in 2006 and served on the Honorary Committee of Carnegie Hall's HONOR! Festival in 2009 as Artistic Advisor and guest panelist. [3]
