Michael Stern is acclaimed as a transformative musical leader, recognized for his expressive musicianship, adventurous programming, and success in building orchestras of exceptional artistic excellence, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and service. Since 2020, Stern has held the title of Music Director of both the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado, and Orchestra Lumos (formerly Stamford Symphony). His 2026–27 season continues to showcase his commitment to artistic innovation and musical leadership.

Alongside his active guest-conducting schedule, Stern is dedicated to the future of classical music and a passionate advocate for young artists. The National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge is a leading summer festival that, for six decades, has been one of the nation’s premier training programs. His work with emerging musicians has included the National Orchestral Institute, Music Academy of the West, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, including the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, and he has also returned to his alma mater, the Curtis Institute of Music, to coach and perform. In 2017 he helped launch Youth Music Culture Guangdong (YMCG) at the invitation of Yo-Yo Ma and Long Yu, working with students and young professionals in partnership with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Stern was named Artistic Director and Conductor of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, the renowned Carnegie Hall program which was founded in 1969. He will lead his first concerts in that role in December of 2026.

In June 2024, Stern concluded his tenure as Music Director of the Kansas City Symphony–the longest in the orchestra’s history–after 19 years of remarkable growth. Stern first guest conducted the KCS in 2003 and was named Music Director in 2005. During that time, the Symphony achieved unprecedented artistic momentum, strengthened its organizational culture and financial stability, nearly tripled its annual budget, and moved into its landmark home at Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Together, Stern and the orchestra earned national acclaim for their bold programming, major commissions–especially by American composers–and deep civic and educational engagement. Their partnership with GRAMMY® Award–winning Reference Recordings produced a wide-ranging catalog. Their last disc together, released in July of 2026, was Awaken the Sleeper, devoted to the music of Joel Thompson, featuring Dr. Eugene Rogers and the EXIGENCE Choir, Raymond Santos, Joyce DiDonato, and Yo-Yo Ma. Stern now holds the title of Music Director Laureate with the Kansas City Symphony.

From 2000 to 2022, Stern served as founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of IRIS Orchestra in Germantown, Tennessee, and he remains Artistic Advisor to the reimagined Iris Collective. IRIS gained national recognition for its innovative, musician-centered model, virtuosic performances, wide-ranging programming, distinguished guest soloists, and acclaimed recordings on the Naxos and Arabesque labels, with a particular commitment to contemporary American composers.

In the United States, Stern has appeared with many of the nation’s leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia, the Atlanta Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic–where he made his debut in 1986 under the auspices of Leonard Bernstein. Internationally, he has conducted in London, Paris, Stockholm, Helsinki, Budapest, Israel, Moscow, Taiwan, and Tokyo. He has served as Music Advisor to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of Germany’s Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of both the Orchestre National de Lyon and the Orchestre National de Lille.

Stern earned a degree in American History from Harvard University in 1981. He then went on to study at the Curtis Institute of Music with the noted conductor and pedagogue Max Rudolf. He later co-edited the third edition of Rudolf’s seminal book, The Grammar of Conducting, as well as a collection of Rudolf’s essays and letters. He counts Leonard Bernstein, David Zinman, and Charles Bruck among his most influential mentors.