JoAnn Falletta is internationally celebrated as avibrant ambassador for music, an inspiring artisticleader, and a champion of American symphonicmusic. She serves as the Music Director of the BuffaloPhilharmonic Orchestra and the Virginia SymphonyOrchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the BrevardMusic Center. Upon her appointment as Music Directorof the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999, MaestroFalletta became the first female conductor to lead amajor American ensemble.Maestro Falletta has guest conducted over a hundredorchestras in North America, and many of themost prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, SouthAmerica and Africa. Her 2017-18 international guestconducting appearances include performances withthe RTE Concert Orchestra (Dublin), Mexico SymphonyPhilharmonic, and the New Japan Philharmonic, amongothers, as well as recordings with the Berlin RadioSymphony and the London Symphony orchestras.She has served as a Member of the National Councilon the Arts, was recently elected as a member of theesteemed American Academy of Arts and Sciences,and is the recipient of many of the most prestigiousconducting awards. A leading recording artist for Naxos,her discs have won two Grammy Awards and tenGrammy nominations.In addition to her current posts with the BuffaloPhilharmonic, Virginia Symphony and Brevard MusicCenter, and as Music Advisor to the Hawaii Symphony,Falletta has held the positions of principal conductorof the Ulster Orchestra, principal guest conductor ofthe Phoenix Symphony, music director of the LongBeach Symphony Orchestra, associate conductor of theMilwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and music director ofthe Denver Chamber Orchestra.Ms. Falletta received her undergraduate degree fromthe Mannes School of Music, and her master’s degreeand doctorate from The Juilliard School.