Jacob Joyce, conductor

Including Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Handel’s Water Music, alongside Jessie Montgomery’s rhythmic Strum

Now in its 127th season, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is credited with a rich history of engaging the world’s finest conductors and musicians and demonstrates a genuine commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Known for its artistic excellence for more than a century, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been led by its worldwide acclaimed Music Director Manfred Honeck since 2008; past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), André Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1997-2004). The Pittsburgh Symphony is continually at the forefront of championing new American works. The Orchestra premiered Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944, John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986, and Mason Bates’ Resurrexit in 2018 to celebrate Manfred Honeck’s 60th birthday. The two-time 2018 GRAMMY® Award-winning orchestra has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and live radio broadcasts. Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have received multiple GRAMMY® nominations for Best Orchestral Performance, taking home the award in 2018 for their recording of Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been broadcast on the radio. The orchestra has received increased attention since 1982 through national network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Lauded as the Pittsburgh region’s international cultural ambassador, the orchestra began regular touring in 1896 and has embarked on scores of domestic and international tours. In the summer of 2022, Music Director Manfred Honeck led the orchestra on an extensive and highly acclaimed tour of Europe, celebrating 75 years of international touring for the orchestra.

Jacob Joyce
Assistant Conductor, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Jacob Joyce is Assistant Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, appointed by Music Director Manfred Honeck in October 2021. A dynamic and innovative presence on the podium, Joyce is also Resident Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony. He also made his debut with several American orchestras in 2019-2020, including the Detroit, St. Louis, Houston, and Toledo symphonies. Abroad, Joyce has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the NDR-Sinfonieorchester, the hrSinfonieorchester Frankfurt, and the Frankfurt Museumsorchester. For his work in Indianapolis and around the world, Joyce was awarded a Solti Career Assistance Award in 2020. Joyce previously served as the Conducting Fellow for the Fort Worth Symphony, with whom he collaborates frequently. Joyce is an avid promoter of new works and an advocate for bringing classical music to new audiences. He is the host and creator of the podcast “Attention to Detail: The Classical Music Listening Guide” and works extensively with educators, music teachers, and orchestra directors across the country. Jacob Joyce studied Orchestral Conducting at the New England Conservatory and has also received instruction at the Tanglewood Music Center and the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen. Joyce received a M.M. in Violin Performance from the Yale School of Music in 2015 and earned his B.A. in Music and Economics from Yale College.