Jayce Ogren
Jayce Ogren has established himself as one of the most innovative and versatile conductors of his generation. From symphonic concerts to revolutionary community service programs to operatic world premieres, Mr. Ogren is a leader in breaking down barriers between audiences and great music.
Mr. Ogren began his career as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director of the Cleveland Youth Orchestra, a concurrent appointment he held from 2006-2009. In the years since, he has conducted many of the world’s most prominent orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, Boston Symphony, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, the Dallas and San Francisco Symphonies, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, in programs ranging from Mozart to Beethoven through Sibelius and Bernstein, to presenting U.S. and world premieres of works by Steve Mackey and Nico Muhly.
Among the numerous progressive projects Mr. Ogren has conducted are the New York premieres of Leonard Bernstein’s only opera, A Quiet Place, and puppeteer Basil Twist’s The Rite of Spring, both at Lincoln Center; the world premiere of David Lang’s symphony for a broken orchestra, bringing together 400 student, amateur and professional musicians in Philadelphia; and the world premiere of Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown at Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
A longtime collaborator of singer/songwriter/composer Rufus Wainwright, Mr. Ogren conducted the 2012 U.S. premiere of his opera Prima Donna at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and led its recording with the BBC Symphony on Deutsche Grammaphon in 2016. Mr. Ogren and Mr. Wainwright have since appeared together throughout the world, with ensembles such as the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France in Paris and the Toronto Symphony.
A devoted educator, Mr. Ogren was invited by renowned poet Paul Muldoon to create an interdisciplinary studio class at Princeton University for the 2017-2018 academic year. He has worked with students at the Brevard Music Center, the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Music Academy of the West and Verbier Festival. In 2016, he presented a unique workshop in orchestral rehearsal techniques for music teachers at Carnegie Hall in collaboration with the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute and the Juilliard School Pre-College. For his own part, Mr. Ogren earned his Masters in conducting at the New England Conservatory and studied as a Fulbright Scholar with Jorma Panula.
A native of Hoquiam, Washington, Jayce Ogren lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Carly, an architect, and their son, Alistair. An avid athlete, he has run the Big Sur, Boston and New York City marathons, the JFK 50 Miler trail run, and the Ironman Lake Placid triathlon. As an individual member of 1% for the Planet, Mr. Ogren is proud to connect his artistic work with his deep love of nature and concern for the environment.