{{Short description|Argentinian-Italian conductor}} {{Infobox person | name = Michelle Di Russo | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = 1990 | birth_place = Argentina | death_date = | death_place = | education = Arizona State University, University of Kentucky, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina | occupation = Conductor | employer = | works = | website = https://www.michelledirusso.com | signature = | signature_alt = }} '''Michelle Di Russo''' (born 1990<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.delawarepublic.org/arts/2025-05-06/delaware-symphony-names-new-conductor | title=Delaware Symphony names new conductor | work=Delaware Public Media | author=Martin Matheny | date=2025-05-06 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref>) is an Argentinian-Italian conductor based in the United States. She has served as associate conductor of the North Carolina Symphony,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Michelle Di Russo Named Associate Conductor |url=https://www.ncsymphony.org/michelle-di-russo-named-associate-conductor/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=North Carolina Symphony |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2023-07-20 |title=Los Angeles Philharmonic Names New Assistant Conductor and Dudamel Fellows |url=https://www.theviolinchannel.com/los-angeles-philharmonic-names-new-assistant-conductor-and-dudamel-fellows-for-the-2023-24-season/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=The Violin Channel |language=en-US}}</ref> and associate conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Fornoff |first=Marcheta |date=2024-10-25 |title=Latin American music takes center stage at bilingual Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra concert |url=https://fortworthreport.org/2024/10/25/latin-american-music-takes-center-stage-at-bilingual-fort-worth-symphony-orchestra-concert/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Fort Worth Report |language=en-US}}</ref> She is music director-designate of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.
==Early life and education== Di Russo was born in Argentina<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Sherrod |first=Alan |date=2024-02-27 |title=This Sunday: KSO Takes An Italian Voyage with Mendelssohn, Rossini, and Vivaldi |url=https://artsknoxville.com/index.php/2024/02/27/this-sunday-kso-takes-an-italian-voyage-with-mendelssohn-rossini-and-vivaldi/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Arts Knoxville |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Michelle Di Russo |url=https://music.cornell.edu/michelle-di-russo |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Cornell University Department of Music}}</ref> to Italian parents.<ref name=":2" /> She earned a degree in orchestral conducting and music production of audiovisual media from Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Michelle Di Russo |url=https://festivalnapavalley.org/artists/michelle-di-russo/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Festival Napa Valley |language=en}}</ref> She moved to the United States in 2015,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Román |first=Ana Sofia |date=2023-11-08 |title=Delaware Symphony Orchestra welcomes guest conductor Michelle Di Russo to lead '¡Música Bravo!' on Sunday |url=https://www.wrde.com/news/delaware-symphony-orchestra-welcomes-guest-conductor-michelle-di-russo-to-lead-m-sica-bravo-on/article_4b3c0eb0-7e8c-11ee-8c6d-7f6c8d54775b.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=CoastTV |language=en}}</ref> where she earned a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Kentucky and a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from Arizona State University.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet Michelle Di Russo |url=https://chicagosinfonietta.org/michelle-di-russo/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Chicago Sinfonietta |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
==Career== In 2021, Di Russo joined the North Carolina Symphony as an assistant conductor,<ref name=":0" /> and was promoted to associate conductor in 2022,<ref name=":0" /> the latter appointment with a contract of two years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cvnc.org/michelle-di-russo-named-associate-conductor-of-the-north-carolina-symphony/ | title=Michelle Di Russo Named Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony | work=Cultural Voice of North Carolina | author= | date=2022-07-19 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref> She also served as interim director of orchestras at Cornell for the 2021-2022 academic year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Midwest Clinic Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow |url=https://www.midwestclinic.org/conductors/midwest-clinic-conductor-detail?id=628 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Midwest Clinic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-07 |title=Cornell University Fall Concert Series |url=https://www.earts.org/events/cornell-university-fall-concert-series-4/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, Di Russo was appointed Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dieckmann |first=Jane |date=2024-02-09 |title=Two Finalists to Go: Spring Brings Performances by Final Two Cayuga Chamber Director Candidates |url=https://www.ithaca.com/entertainment/music/two-finalists-to-go-spring-brings-performances-by-final-two-cayuga-chamber-director-candidates/article_8e29de20-c70a-11ee-8e95-eff4f52aab8f.html |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Ithaca Times |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8" />
Di Russo co-founded Girls Who Conduct, an initiative that promotes gender equality in conducting.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Price |first=Betsy |date=2024-02-26 |title=4 finalists named for Delaware Symphony's music director job |url=https://delawarelive.com/4-finalists-delaware-symphony-music-director/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |work=Delaware Live |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=LA Phil Bulks Up With New Batch of Dudamel Fellows |url=https://www.sfcv.org/articles/music-news/la-phil-bulks-new-batch-dudamel-fellows |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Classical Voice San Francisco |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra partnered with Girls Who Conduct to launch a fellowship for women conductors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Larry Felton |date=2021-07-15 |title=Georgia Symphony Orchestra partners with Girls Who Conduct |url=https://cobbcountycourier.com/2021/07/georgia-symphony-orchestra-partners-with-girls-who-conduct/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Cobb Courier |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Larry Felton |date=2021-09-13 |title=GSO and Girls Who Conduct choose six participants for new fellowship program |url=https://cobbcountycourier.com/2021/09/gso-and-girls-who-conduct-choose-six-participants-for-new-fellowship-program/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Cobb Courier |language=en-US}}</ref> Di Russo was a recipient of a 2024 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award.<ref>{{cite press release | title=2024 Career Assistance Awards | url=https://www.soltifoundation.us/press-releases/blog-post-title-two-lcn8e | publisher=The Solti Foundation U.S. | date=15 May 2024 | accessdate=2025-05-26}}</ref>
In November 2023, Di Russo first guest-conducted the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=Guest conductor to lead Delaware Symphony Orchestra Nov. 12 |url=https://www.capegazette.com/node/266569 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Cape Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-delaware-symphony-orchestra-presents-m%C3%BAsica-bravo | title=The Delaware Symphony Orchestra presents ¡Música Bravo! | work=The Broad Street Review | author=Gail Obenreder | date=2023-11-14 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Veterans Day, Bobbie season, comedy fest and DSO's 'Musica Bravo': Weekend Guide |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/entertainment/2023/11/11/menopause-the-musical-delaware-symphony-orchestra-concert-comedy-renaissance-faire/71534890007/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Delaware News Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> In March 2025, she returned for a second guest-conducting engagement as one of the four finalists for the post of the orchestra's music director.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://outandaboutnow.com/new-season-new-direction/ | title=New Season, New Direction | work=Out And About Greater Wilmington | author=Ken Mammarella | date=2024-08-27 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref> In May 2025, the orchestra announced the appointment of Di Russo as its next music director, effective with the 2025-2026 season.<ref>{{cite press release | title=Music Director Designate, Michelle Di Russo | url=https://www.delawaresymphony.org/michelle-di-russo/ | publisher=Delaware Symphony Orchestra | date=1 May 2025 | accessdate=2025-05-01}}</ref> This appointment marks Di Russo's first leadership post. Di Russo is the first female conductor to be named music director of Delaware Symphony Orchestra.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-symphony-orchestra-first-female-director/ | title=Delaware Symphony Orchestra taps Michelle Di Russo as first female music director | work=WHYY | author=Johnny Perez-Gonzalez | date=2025-05-12 | access-date=2025-05-26}}</ref>
==Awards== Di Russo is the recipient of several conducting fellowships: * Freeman Conducting Fellowship in Chicago Sinfonietta's 2020-2021 Project Inclusion program<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |title=ASU alumna awarded two prestigious conducting fellowships {{!}} ASU News |url=https://news.asu.edu/20201210-asu-alumna-awarded-two-prestigious-conducting-fellowships |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=ASU News}}</ref> * Conducting Fellowship for the 2021 Dallas Opera Hart Institute<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2020-09-22 |title=Dallas Opera Announces 2021 All-Female Conducting Fellows |url=https://theviolinchannel.com/dallas-opera-announces-2021-conducting-fellows-female-conductors/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=The Violin Channel |language=en-US}}</ref> * Dudamel Fellowship for the 2023-2024 season with the Los Angeles Philharmonic<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.michelledirusso.com Official homepage of Michelle Di Russo] * [https://www.artsmg.com/artists/michelle-di-russo Arts Management Group agency page on Michelle Di Russo] * [https://www.instagram.com/michelledirusso/ Instagram page of Michelle Di Russo]
{{s-start}} {{s-culture}} {{succession box | title=Music Director, Delaware Symphony Orchestra | before=David Amado | years=2025–present | after=incumbent}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Di Russo, Michelle}} Category:21st-century Italian conductors (music) Category:Argentine conductors (music) Category:Women conductors (music) Category:Living people Category:Arizona State University alumni Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:1990 births Category:21st-century Argentine conductors (music)