Dr. Carolyn Watson Conductor, originally from Australia, has been a distinguished presence on the United States orchestral scene since 2013. Her impressive career, spanning continents, has left an indelible mark on orchestral music. As Music Director of Indiana’s La Porte County Symphony, she is instrumental in shaping the organization’s artistic trajectory and growth. Additionally, Watson serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Her expertise has been showcased across a range of ensembles, including the Austin Symphony, Cape Symphony, Catskill Symphony, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra, Kansas City Ballet, South Bend Symphony, St. Joseph Symphony, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, and World Youth Symphony Orchestra. Her tenure as Music Director of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra stands out as a defining moment in her career, a position for which she was recruited from Australia. There, she led this ensemble to win the 2015 American Prize for Orchestral Performance and selection for the 2016 New York Philharmonic Biennial.
Watson also boasts significant experience as an opera conductor, having led performances with Amarillo Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, as well as notable productions, including As One. Her work in 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 skills were further verified by selection for the Hart Institute for Women Conductors in 2017, where she led the Dallas Opera in two performances. Watson’s upcoming 23-24 season is filled with debuts and reappearances. She is set to conduct the South Bend Symphony and the Barrier Reef Orchestra in Australia while returning to the Cape Symphony, Kansas City Ballet, and Monash Academy Orchestra.