As the conductor, do you get nervous when you step onto that stage?
It’s more of an excitement. I’m so grateful to make my living in music. So, when I walk out, it’s almost a high. It’s live music. There is this thrill. You don’t know what will happen in front of an audience. It’s like being on a roller coaster and you’re going up, up, up just knowing that you’re about to feel that minute where your stomach jumps and you fly downward.
At what age did you learn to play piano?
My mother, a music teacher, sat me down at age 3 and said, “You’re going to learn to play piano now.” I still play the piano. In fact, it’s part of my life. Forever in my veins. It’s the blood that feeds me. Mom also made sure that I had a lot of culture in my life. At age 10, she took me to see the opera ‘Porgy and Bess.’ We went to piano concerts and watched great artists come to Chicago. She also took me to Second City to see comedy and to blues and jazz clubs.
How many female conductors are there in the world?
It is a very small group. About 10 percent of the conductors in the world are female. Initially, I studied piano at college. I have a doctorate in piano performance and then decided to become a conductor. I’ve had enough schooling to become a physician or surgeon. At USC, I decided to do a conducting minor. I loved it! I didn’t just need 88 keys on the piano in my life; I needed 88 musicians in front of me.
Describe what your 2026-27 season will sound like.
It will be a really high-energy season where we will be opening our doors in different ways. We’re kicking off the season with the music of Studio Ghibli, a vibrant celebration of legendary Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi’s cinematic symphonic music. It’s joyful and full of wonder. I will also conduct Beethoven in October and Handel’s “Messiah” in November. We have a “Very Vegas Christmas” in December with classics and favorites for the season.
How are you adapting to Vegas life?
We’re all nature lovers in my family (husband Brian and two children). In July, we escaped to Mount Charleston to go camping. That was unbelievable. I love the cuisine — Double Zero pizza and all the great restaurants in Chinatown. I’ve loved going to a Golden Knights game and watching the Aces play. The only tough thing about the move was my first baby — my grand piano — is used to the 70 percent humidity of the Midwest. Here, it’s 7 percent humidity. I have to make sure she stays in good shape! I’m really looking forward to my life as a local. The one thing that draws me to Vegas is there is such great potential here — ballet, opera, the philharmonic. My hope and dream is to elevate the arts culture here. ◆
