Jane Brown, Conductor
As a native of the arts-loving mountain communities of Northern California, Jane Brown has always had a passion for sharing the finest in music with everyone around her. She earned her Bachelor of Music, magna cum laude, in music curriculum and instruction from Brigham Young University; and a Master of Arts in Music with honors in woodwind performance and conducting from California State University, Chico. After establishing a strong foundation as both a performing professional orchestral musician and music educator, Ms. Brown embarked on her career conducting symphonic music in the Spring of 2001. Most recently, Jane completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in May of 2022.
Ms. Brown’s first orchestral appointment was to conduct the Reno Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra. During her four-year tenure there, she worked with more than 300 of Northern Nevada and Northeastern California’s finest young musicians. Under her leadership, this excellent group of students performed professional orchestral literature for over 23,000 people, including its highly acclaimed Young People’s Concerts for children. In the Fall of 2004, Jane was selected to serve as the conductor and musical director of the Reno Pops Orchestra, where she had a profound effect on building every aspect of that ensemble and its audiences into a regional phenomenon.
In April of 2013 she was named as the conductor of the Ruby Mountain Symphony in Elko, Nevada and in July 2013 conducted the Les Misérables run with the Tahoe Players in Reno, Nevada. More recently, she has revitalized the Ruby Mountain Symphony and in 2020, founded a new professional ensemble known for its artistry and joyous music-making: the Northern Nevada String Serenade. Jane has also served as the guest conductor of many honor bands and orchestras, and has frequently served as a music festival adjudicator and clinician in the educational circles of Northeastern California and Northern Nevada.
Her recent pursuits also include studying conducting with such internationally renowned masters as: Gustav Meier, Mark Gibson, Markand Thakar, Diane Wittry, Joseph Gifford, Karolos Trikolidis, Guerassim Voronkov, Victor Yampolsky, Taras Krysa, and—most recently—Jonathan Brett and Alexander Polyanichko. In February of 2014 she was named as a Conducting Fellow with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra with Diane Wittry. In recent years Jane has guest conducted the State Symphony Concert Orchestra of Ukraine in Kyiv, the State Philharmonic of the Republic of Adygeya in Maikop, the State Academic Orchestra of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Almaty, the Chelyabinsk Symphony Orchestra, the Bryansk Governor’s Symphony Orchestra, the Samara Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tolyatti Philharmonic, the Chamber Orchestra of Dagestan State Philharmonic, the Astrakhan Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, and the Arkhangelsk State Chamber String Orchestra—as well as two of the state orchestras in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Ms. Brown is a passionate and energetic conductor who inspires musicians to achieve their highest potential. She is known for her team-building leadership style, her enthusiastic work ethic, and her passion for audience-friendly, thematic, multimedia programming. During her tenure as conductor of the Reno Pops Orchestra and in her work with many other ensembles, she has played a key role in developing several innovative education and outreach programs which have brought inspiration to thousands of audience members and musicians in Northeastern California and Northern Nevada.
Jane Brown Biography.docx