Jeffrey Milarsky is a highly sought-after podium figure in the world of orchestral, opera and chamber music. He has been hailed as a pre-eminent interpreter of contemporary music. A creative and adventurous programmer, his passionate advocacy for living composers has made him a frequent musical collaborator with orchestras in America and abroad.
In recent seasons, he has worked regularly with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, MET Chamber Ensemble, Bergen Philharmonic in Norway, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New World Symphony and Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. In the United States and abroad, he has premiered and recorded works by many groundbreaking contemporary composers in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall and at IRCAM in Paris.
Milarsky has a long history of premiering, recording and performing American composers; throughout his career, he has collaborated with John Adams, Milton Babbitt, John Cage, Elliott Carter, John Corigliano, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Steven Mackey, Steve Reich, Christopher Rouse, Ralph Shapey, Morton Subotnick, Charles Wuorinen and an entire generation of young and developing composers. In 2013, he was awarded the Ditson Conductor’s Award for his commitment to the performance of American music.
In his role as an educator at the Juilliard School and at Columbia University, he has spent more than 25 years supporting and cultivating young musicians and composers around the globe. He serves as the music director of AXIOM and is on the conducting faculty at the Juilliard School. Additionally, he is a senior lecturer in music at Columbia University, where he is the music director and conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra.
A much-in-demand timpanist and percussionist, Milarsky has been the principal timpanist for the Santa Fe Opera since 2005. He has also performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Pittsburgh Symphony. He has recorded extensively for Angel, Bridge, Teldec, Telarc, New World, CRI, MusicMasters, EMI, Koch and London music labels.
April 2022
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSO by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
