Biography: Jere Lantz

As Music Director of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and in other concerts all over the world, Jere Lantz has become known as much for his affable personality, engaging wit and captivating manner in lending insights into the most complex music as for his dynamic performances. Critics and audiences have observed that the quality and energy he exudes seem to increase each season with concerts.

Conductor Jere Lantz

In addition to leading the Pops Orchestra, Pennsylvania native Lantz serves as Music Director of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale and Minnetonka Choral Society. He has been Music Director of the Minneapolis Chamber Symphony, Associate Music Director of the Minnesota Opera and Founding Music Director of the Minnesota Opera Touring Company. As a guest conductor he has led concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Bach Society and Minnesota Chorale.

Jere Lantz has led concerts over a wide geographical area, including appearances with the St. Louis Symphony, Rochester (NY) Philharmonic, New Hampshire Music Festival, Huntsville, Kansas City, Santa Cruz, Tucson, Shreveport, Syracuse and Medellín (Colombia) orchestras, among many others. He has conducted three of the ten professional orchestras in the People’s Republic of China, where in Beijing players told him, “Never have we played Beethoven so well!”

Maestro Lantz appears each year before a wide variety of music lovers telling the story behind the music. He has spoken at international symphony orchestra conferences and in countless radio and television appearances. A former board member of the American Composers Forum and the Conductors Guild of the American Symphony Orchestra League, he has served as a writer and consultant on concert programming. He holds degrees through the doctorate from Yale University.

Whether conducting exhilarating concerts or inspiring young musicians to reach beyond their best, Jere Lantz has shown himself to be the sort of masterful musician and consummate performer to present music at its most thrilling and profound for the 21st century.