Carolyn Watson, an acclaimed conductor from Australia, has been a prominent figure on the US orchestral scene since 2013. Her impressive career spanning continents has significantly impacted orchestral conducting and music education. At the La Porte County Symphony in Indiana, Watson serves as Music Director. She also holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Her conducting prowess has been showcased across various prestigious ensembles, including the Austin Symphony, Cape Symphony, Catskill Symphony, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra, Kansas City Ballet, St. Joseph Symphony, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, and World Youth Symphony Orchestra. A career milestone was her appointment as Orchestral Conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, in which capacity she led this ensemble to win the 2015 American Prize for Orchestral Performance.

 

Watson is also an accomplished opera conductor, having led productions for Amarillo Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Her exemplary work on And Still We Dream with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 2020 was featured in the Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary Higher Octaves: Leading Women in the Arts. Watson’s talents were recognized at the Hart Institute for Women Conductors in 2017, where she conducted the Dallas Opera in two performances. Looking ahead to the 23-24 season, she is set to debut with the South Bend Symphony and Barrier Reef Orchestra in Australia and enjoy return engagements with the Cape Symphony, Kansas City Ballet, and Monash Academy Orchestra.