Biography

Internationally recognized as an insightful and versatile musician, American conductor Arthur Post recently completed a seven-year tenure as Music Director of Canada's Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. In recognition of his thirteen years at the artistic helm of the San Juan Symphony, he was appointed Music Director Laureate in 2015. In both regions he has built a reputation as an engaging communicator and audience-builder whose innovative and compelling programming integrates the great classics with music reflecting local cultures and concerns. In the United States he has led a number of distinguished ensembles, including the Columbus, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Houston, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, San Antonio and Virginia Symphony Orchestras. His passion for enriching and expanding the traditional concert experience has established him as a potent advocate for the future of symphonic music. He currently dedicates part of his time to conducting the student orchestra at the Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music.

As Music Director of the Thunder Bay Symphony Arthur Post brought new vision and energy to programming and audience engagement. He led the commissioning of seven major works and recorded three CDs, including a 50th anniversary commemorative album designed to broaden the orchestra's presence in the community. His Analekta recording of the music of composer Jordan Pal, “Into the Wonder,” was nominated for Canada's JUNO award for Best Classical Album of 2019, alongside entries from the Toronto, Detroit, Seattle and BBC symphonies. Artistic excellence, innovative and diverse programming, and extensive collaborations with local musicians, actors and dancers were all hallmarks of his tenure.

As a guest conductor internationally, Arthur Post made his debut with the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin and has recorded with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for the BMG label. Other international appearances include the Helsinki Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, Saarland Radio Orchestra, Orchestre National de Toulouse, Singapore and Jerusalem symphony orchestras, as well as return engagements with the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra (OBC), Orchestre National de Lille, Opéra Théatre de Besançon and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica. He has worked regularly on the conducting staff of Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, where he has worked with singers Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flores, José van Dam, Samuel Ramey, and Eva Podles, among others. Mr. Post has collaborated with leading artists including Sarah Chang, Julia Fischer, James Galway, Hilary Hahn, Lynn Harrell, Ben Heppner, Anton Kuerti, Jaime Laredo, Lorin Maazel, Sharon Robinson and Maxim Vengerov.

Arthur Post was chosen by music director Lorin Maazel to serve as Assistant, then Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where he led subscription, pops, family, outreach and educational concerts, and was active in programming and audience development for the orchestra's innovative outreach program.  He later served as Associate Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta, and has recently returned to lead Israel's national youth orchestra, the Young Israel Philharmonic. Mr. Post was subsequently chosen by Artistic Director, Michael Tilson Thomas for an appointment as Resident Conductor of The New World Symphony, where he worked closely with Mr. Tilson Thomas in this program for America's youngest generation of professional orchestral musicians.

A graduate of Yale University, summa cum laude with distinction in Music, Arthur Post earned a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School, and studied at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Salzburg Mozarteum.  He went on to study the operatic repertoire at Hamburg's Hochschule für Musik, also serving on the conducting staff of the Hamburg Operettenhaus and appearing at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. He has conducted in masterclasses with Leonard Bernstein, Erich Leinsdorf and Simon Rattle, and was a conducting fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, performing at the Hollywood Bowl.

As Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra for three years, Mr. Post provided artistic leadership for one of the top young ensembles in the country. He has developed educational concerts that have been performed in the United States, Europe and the Far East.  His program, “Music on the Inside,” teaches improvisation and composition to young students who have no previous experience in music.

Having begun his studies on the double bass, Mr. Post enjoys performing a variety of musical styles, including jazz and popular music.  He has conducted tours with popular artists James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, and performed in PBS Pittsburgh Pops television specials with Marvin Hamlisch.