Orchestras
Explore the vast creative range of today's contemporary orchestra.
A leading orchestra program in the United States, the ASU Orchestras explore the vast creative range of today’s contemporary orchestra and bring its audiences an engaging variety of masterworks, new music, groundbreaking guest artists, multi-media collaborations and award-winning programming. The ASU Orchestras are creating a new model for professional and pre-professional arts organizations that value the diverse potential of human creativity. The program is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion through music and the arts.
The ASU orchestra program provides its members with intensive orchestral training and professional level artistic performance experience. The orchestras perform challenging and diverse repertoire chosen to help emerging professional musicians develop a wide range of skills and aptitudes. Rich concert programming offers audiences and the greater arts community opportunities to engage with major works of the orchestral canon as well as cutting-edge works of our time. Exploring the full creative range of today’s contemporary orchestral ensemble, the ASU Symphony Orchestra and ASU Chamber Orchestra seek to perform canonical works with technical excellence and artistry while also pushing musical boundaries through innovative multi-disciplinary collaborations. The ASU Philharmonia provides its members an engaging and vigorous foundational orchestral experience for both music and non-music majors. The ASU Studio Orchestra functions as the laboratory orchestra for ASU’s exemplary class of graduate conductors and the Music Theatre and Opera Orchestra provides pit orchestra support for Music, Theatre and Opera productions.
Listen and watch
Towards a More Perfect Union
An ASU Gammage and ASU Symphony theatrical, symphonic concert—with film, song, and spoken word—highlighting new works and powerful compositions that speak to the challenges of our time.
Harp of Nerves
JIJI performs Harp of Nerves, a guitar concerto by Hilary Purrington, with the ASU Symphony Orchestra.
Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
The ASU Symphony Orchestra performs Missy Mazzoli's "Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), March 2020, Ikeda Theater, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ.
Alumni highlights
Mark Alpizar completed the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in orchestra and opera conducting in 2018 at Arizona State University (ASU). In addition to being one of the assistant conductors for the ASU orchestras and Lyric Opera Theatre, he studied conducting with Jeffery Meyer (now at Jacobs School) and The Phoenix Symphony’s Tito Muñoz. At ASU, he commissioned and premiered several new works, and initiated a new series of orchestral pops including the music of video games.
"Arizona State University's conducting program gave me the confidence to conduct professionally as well as the skills to succeed as an educator and arts leader. In addition to ample podium time, a customizable degree path, and frequent sessions with internationally-recognized artists, ASU's talented network of graduate students are the colleagues I still frequently collaborate with today."
A native of Argentina with Italian roots, Michelle Di Russo completed her DMA in Orchestral Conducting at ASU in 2020. She also earned a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Kentucky and a degree in Orchestral Conducting and Music Production of Audiovisual Media from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, where she was awarded an Ad-Hoc Diploma for the highest grade in Orchestral Conducting.
“My education at ASU has given me the artistic and leadership tools to succeed in the ever-changing job market and has prepared me to be ready to adapt and learn new skills in order to be successful in the future. My three years there were crucial in gathering professional-level experience on the podium while also focusing on areas of research that I was passionate about. Since graduating I am still discovering the impact that this wonderful program has had on my career!”
Sergio Freeman, conductor, instrumentalist and vocal coach was born in Mazatlán, México. He was principal clarinetist of Camerata Mazatlán and has played with orchestras like Orquesta Sinaloa de las Artes and Orquesta del Teatro del Bicentenario. As a pianist and vocal coach he collaborated with the Mazatlan opera studio and at the Bellas Artes opera studio in Mexico City. He has served as rehearsing pianist and vocal coach at productions of operas like Traviata, Rigoletto, La Medium, L’elisir d’Amore, Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Tosca, Sour Angelica, Gianni Schicchi among others.
As a conductor he holds a master’s degree from the University of Veracruz from which he graduated with honors, his conducting mentors were Lanfranco Marcelletti Jr. and Gaetan Kuchta. He has conducted groups like Enigma Ensemble, Orquesta Universitaria de Música Popular de la UV, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo. Sergio is currently Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orquesta del Teatro Ángela Peralta. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral in Musical Arts at Arizona State University and serves as Assistant conductor of the ASU orchestras under the guidance of Jeffery Meyer.
Kamna Gupta is an American Prize-winning conductor experienced in operatic, orchestral, and choral repertoires. Gupta received her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting in 2018 from Arizona State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude.
"My time at ASU [in the MM program] was invaluable and formative. The program gave me the technical foundation to lead an ensemble with confidence and clarity, and gave me essential professional opportunities that started my career."
Born and raised in Arizona, Kara Piatt began her conducting studies during her undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at Northern Arizona University. Her voice and piano background led her to become an Assistant Conductor and Pianist with the NAU Lyric Opera Theatre and Director Dr. Daniel Keith O’Bryant in their rehearsals and performances. Simultaneously, Kara was the accompanist for multiple instrumental and choral ensembles in the NAU School of Music, which exposed her to a wide variety of conducting styles. These experiences ignited a true passion for conducting and led Kara to pursue many educational opportunities across the country with various renowned conducting pedagogues. She most recently graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with her Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting under the tutelage of Mark Gibson. There, her conducting engagements included serving as Assistant Conductor of the CCM Philharmonia, CCM Concert Orchestra, and the CCM Dance and Opera programs. She also had the opportunity to work closely with talented conductors such as Maestro Louis Langree from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and she even joined the CCM Philharmonia as a pianist on numerous occasions. Kara is incredibly excited to continue her studies at ASU for her Doctorate in Orchestral and Opera Conducting. She feels it will push her to new heights as a conductor, educator, and musician, and bring her closer to her eventual goal of sharing classical music with modern audiences around the world.
Yun Song Tay has guest conducted orchestras across Asia, Europe and North America. Song received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting in 2021 from Arizona State University. He received his Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at Cleveland Institute of Music and Bachelor’s degree in Wind Conducting at Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence, and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xuecong Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and singers alike has led to engagements around the globe. Xia holds a dual master’s degree in Conducting and Violin Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a doctoral degree from Arizona State University.
“The Orchestral Conducting program at ASU is one of extraordinary excellence and depth that offers extensive musical and academic possibilities at the same time. My time at ASU prepared me to work with professional ensembles of the highest caliber as well as approach challenges with an innovative, inquisitive, and compassionate spirit.”
Orchestral opportunities
Orchestral degrees
Director of Orchestras
Music Director of Philharmonia
Assistant conductors
Lauren Burchell is a Mexican-American conductor and double bassist currently pursuing her Master’s in Orchestral Conducting at Arizona State University under the direction of Dr. Alejandro Gómez Guillén and Catalin Rotaru. She previously studied at Arizona State University for her undergraduate degrees in both American History and Music. Her mentors include Julie Desbordes, Philip Greenberg, and Desmond Siu.
At present, she is the Artistic Director of the People’s Community Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble committed to providing accessible educational and pre-professional opportunities for musicians of diverse ages and backgrounds. She looks forward to developing her artistry and collaborating with the excellent musicians of the ASU Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor Serena Fornay is known for her collaborative leadership, artistic intentionality, and focused commitment, as she shares the inspiration of live symphonic music with all audiences. Passionate about breaking down barriers and stereotypes, she is especially drawn to pops programming and live-to-film performances, inspired by artists such as Josh Groban and John Williams.
Serena is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at Arizona State University and serves as Assistant Conductor for Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras. In addition to her conducting work, she has experience in arts administration and music education, reflecting her deep belief in the power of relationship, collaboration, and community engagement through music.
Hayoung Jeong is a Korean-born conductor and cellist, pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral and Opera Conducting with Alejandro Gómez Guillén at Arizona State University. She previously earned a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting in South Korea. After moving to the USA, she pursued another Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Johannes Müller Stosch at California State University, Long Beach.
A cellist and conductor with broad and in-depth experience, she embraces a wide spectrum of musical challenges. She has distinguished herself through international competitions, workshops with professional orchestras, and international summer music festivals. Currently expanding her work beyond symphonic repertoire into opera conducting, she continues to deepen her artistic voice. Grounded in her studies and diverse experiences, she strives to grow alongside ASU as a musician of humility and sincerity.