Finnish-American conductor Erik Ochsner is honored and thrilled to be the new Music Director of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. He first appeared with the orchestra to conduct performances of Ghostbusters Live in Concert in 2022; subsequently he has been invited back as a guest conductor eight times culminating in his hiring.

Ochsner’s versatility as a conductor has stretched across a broad range of repertoire: from conducting as few as five performers in contemporary and modern works, to leading 300 performers across 20+ full length films using the Live in Concert format. Audiences and critics alike praise Ochsner’s energy, attention to detail, and precise synchronization.

Highlights of his appearances in Youngstown: Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Strauss’ Overture to Die Fledermaus, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23, a specially curated concert including 7 works called Unknown and Gorgeous: River and Iron, which featured the US premieres of Uuno Klami’s Kalevala Suite, and Eugene Kapp’s Kalevipoeg Ballet Suite (1947), plus Respighi’s Pines of Rome; two more film concerts, Home Alone in Concert, and Back to the Future in Concert; a concert featuring The Vindys and the YSO, a narrated Superheroes concert, a Romeo and Juliet concert with soprano Avery Boettcher, and a concert with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, and two pieces of Luigi Cherubini.

Most recently, Ochsner conducted three performances of Lion King (1994) Live in Concert, and three performances of Frozen Live in Concert with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Upcoming performances include performances of Star Wars in Concert: Episode 6: Return of the Jedi and Nightmare Before Christmas with the Filmharmonique orchestra in Edmonton, Canada, and Lion King (1994) Live in Concert in Oman.

Working with his friend Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Ochsner commissioned Tom Chapin and John Forster to create a new piece for three actors and chamber orchestra: Grandfather Camp: An Orchestral Fantasy. The story is based on Dr. Ruth’s writings about grandparenting. A successful development workshop took place, and the piece is currently being orchestrated for future performance!

Ochsner’s long relationship with the Krakow International Film Music Festival have been hugely successful leading sold-out performances in a 16,000-seat arena of Pixar in Concert, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, and Lion King (1994) (all performed in Polish), plus Disney in Concert: The Magic of Music with the Krakow Film Festival Youth Orchestra.

As Principal Touring Conductor for La La Land Live in Concert, Ochsner conducted 50 performances across the globe of Justin Hurwitz’s Academy Award and Grammy Award winning score, often performing with two of the original recording artists, pianist Randy Kerber, and trumpeter Wayne Bergeron.

Ochsner conducted the world premiere of Mary Poppins 1964) with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House; made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducting Love Actually; on 40 hours’ notice, he flew to Taipei to conduct Beauty and the Beast in Concert to fill in for an ailing colleague; at the Nanjing Forest Music Festival in China, he conducted a concert of 18 suites of Hollywood film music; Music Director of the 217 Opera America New Works Showcase in New York City/ In collaboration with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Ochsner led the premiere of The Music of Star Wars featuring the iconic music of John Williams, as well as award-winning video game composers Gordy Haab and Kyle Newmaster. 

Other Film projects he has conducted include: Back to the Future, Beauty and the Beast (2017), Batman (1989), Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Frozen, Ghostbusters, Home Alone, La La Land, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pixar in Concert, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars in Concert: Episodes 4, 5, and 6.

Equally comfortable on the concert stage or leading opera, oratorio and multi-media performances, he has performed in Adelaide, Athens, Beijing, Budapest, Calgary, Dallas, Dammam, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jakarta, Kitchener-Waterloo, krakow, Leipzig, Louisiana, Louisville, Melbourne, México City, Montreal, Monterrey, Moscow, Nashville, New York, Ottawa, Portland, Reykjavik, Richmond, Rochester, Round Top, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Shanghai, Sofia, South Bend, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tampere, Tokyo, Vancouver, Wellington, Youngstown.

He is Founder and Music Director of SONOS Chamber Orchestra which performed Rite of Spring in an arrangement for 4 pianos and 2 percussionists. The New York Times said, “All the hallmarks of a great ‘Rite’ were here.”

During an 8-year collaboration, Ochsner served as Rehearsal Conductor for Academy Award winning composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Highlights include Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master for The First Emperor workshop, a Metropolitan Opera commission, and Cover Conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of The Map, a multimedia cello featuring Yo-Yo Ma, with performances in Boston, Carnegie Hall, and Tanglewood.

The Bulgarian Monitor said, “Sensuality and synchronicity, matched by perfection, accompanied each of the melodies during La La Land: Live in Concert.” Radio Canada wrote, “[Ochsner] was of remarkable precision to the musical direction…the music of the orchestra seemed to emanate from the film. There was no distinction between the screen and the stage.” The Ontario Arts Review has said “Watch this man, he is brilliant.”

Recordings include Brian Wilbur Grundstrom: An Orchestral Journey (CD), and Tea: A Mirror of Soul (DVD).

Ochsner attended The Pierre Monteux School and is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He speaks French, German, and Italian. His mentors and teachers include Robert Spano, Charles Bruck, Erich Kunzel, Marin Alsop, and Helmuth Rilling. He lives in New York City, loves traveling, wine, and collecting requiem recordings.

www.erikochsner.com and www.SONOSChamberOrch.org and YouTube

Francis Scott Key                                                                                                                                    The Star Spangled Banner
(1779-1843)

George Gershwin                                                                                                                                   Strike up the Band
(1898-1937)

Leonard Bernstein                                                                                                                                Three Dance Episodes from On The Town
(1918-1990)                                                                                                                                                      I. The Great Lover
                                                                                                                                                                             II. Lonely Town III
                                                                                                                                                                             III. Times Square: 1944

Nino Rota                                                                                                                                                  Theme from The Godfather 
(1911-1979)

Ruggero Leoncavallo                                                                                                                            Overture “Prologue” from Pagliacci 
(1857-1919)

George Gershwin                                                                                                                                  “Summer Time” from Porgy and Bess 
(1898-1937)

Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, and EJAE                                                                                                   “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters

Stephen Schwartz                                                                                                                                  The Wizard and I from Wicked 
(b. 1948)

Harold Arlen                                                                                                                                           “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” form The Wizard of Oz 
(1905-1986)

Arr. Richard Hayman                                                                                                                            Pops Hoedown
(1920-2014)

*INTERMISION*

Aaron Copeland                                                                                                                                     Fanfare for the Common Man
(1900-1990)

Ludwig van Beethoven                                                                                                                         March from Egmont Incidental Music Act III
(1770-1827)

Paul Desmond, Arr. Bob Cerulli                                                                                                       Take 5
(1924-1977)

Scott Schreer, Phil Garrod, and                                                                                                       NFL on FOX Sports Theme
Reed Hayes

Arr. Jari Villanueva                                                                                                                                Armed Forces Medley

FIREWORKS DISPLAY
John Phillips Sousa                                                                                                                               Stars and Stripes Forever
(1854-1932)

Morton Gould                                                                                                                                        American Salute
(1913-1996)

John Williams                                                                                                                                         March from Raiders of the Lost Ark 
(b. 1932)

Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky                                                                                                                     Symphony No. 4
(1840-1893)

Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky                                                                                                                     1812 Overture
(1840-1893)