BRETT MITCHELL

Hailed for the breadth of his work on the podium and at the piano, Brett Mitchell has carved a unique path as a leading voice in American classical music. Currently the Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony and Artistic Director & Conductor of Oregon’s Sunriver Music Festival, Mitchell’s career is defined by a rare versatility and a distinguished history of leadership.

In May 2025, Mitchell’s versatility was on full display when he stepped in for his New York Philharmonic subscription debut on less than 24 hours’ notice, leading three acclaimed performances featuring soprano Renée Fleming. This milestone joins decades of high-level appointments, including tenures as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony, Associate Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of both the Houston Symphony and the Orchestre National de France.

A prolific guest conductor, Mitchell has led the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the major orchestras of Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Houston, Indianapolis, Minnesota, San Francisco, and Vancouver. He regularly collaborates with many of the world’s most celebrated soloists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman.

An accomplished pianist and Steinway Artist, he concertizes regularly and is widely recognized for his original solo transcriptions of iconic film scores, a repertoire he also champions on the podium, having led live-to-picture productions of more than two dozen of the world’s most celebrated films. This multi-faceted artistry—grounded in his training under principal mentors Kurt Masur and Lorin Maazel—continues to shape his vision for the future of American orchestras.