Maestro Nick Palmer is thrilled to be at the helm of the ASO to celebrate the orchestra's 96th season. Known for his visionary leadership, compelling performances, exuberant style, and emotional connection with both the audience and musicians, Palmer has had a four-decade association with the ASO. In addition to an unprecedented two tenures as music director, he also has held positions as artistic advisor and principal Pops conductor. Nick is also in his 10th season as music director of the North Charleston (SC) Pops! and 27th season with the Evenings Under the Stars summer music festival (MA) where he regularly conducts the Plymouth Philharmonic.
Nick was a recipient of the Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras as the nation’s most outstanding young music director. He has had an extensive recording career including recent recordings with the London Philharmonic at the Abbey Road Studios which have garnered several Gramophone and Billboard awards. Mark Medwin noted in the May/June 2024 issue of Fanfare Magazine: “Nick Palmer and the London Philharmonic play every piece with clarity, contrast and deep feeling born of an obvious dedication to these powerful scores.”
Nick has led performances of the Detroit Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Louisville Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Salt Lake Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, Greenville Symphony and other orchestras across the nation. He has been a frequent Pops conductor for the Springfield (MA) Symphony and will return to the SSO during the 2023-2024 season.
A favorite guest conductor in Europe, Mexico, and Latin America, Palmer has conducted the Europa Philharmonie, West Bohemia Symphony, Sophia Symphony, Milano Classico Orchestra, Lausanne Symphony, the OSSLA and Monterrey Symphony in Mexico, the National Orchestra of Bolivia and the Medellin Symphony in Columbia. He also led the Czech Radio Orchestra in performances at the Prague Castle and Nelahozeves Castle and conducted a two week tour of the Liguria and Piedmont regions of Italy, including performances at the Villa d’Este, with the San Remo Symphony.
A noted Pops Conductor, Maestro Nick has appeared with Smokey Robinson, Tony Tennille, Carol Lawrence, Mark O’Conner, Clay Aiken, Al Hirt, Nancy Wilson, Tony DeSare, and Neil Sedaka among others. The Boulder (CO) Daily Camera praised a recent concert: “He is
intensely musical, communicates well and easily with the orchestra and manages to share the entire musical experience with the audience in a meaningful way”. As an opera and ballet conductor, he has led performances with the Kentucky Opera, Boston Summer Opera, Chicago Light Opera Works, Harvard University Opera, Heartland Ballet, and Nashville Ballet.
Nick initiated the ASO’s move to the historic Mishler Theater and led the sesquicentennial celebration performance Altoona America, featuring Paul Winter, in 1999. Under his
leadership the ASO was invited by Representative Bud Schuster and National Symphony conductor, Leonard Slatkin, to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC at Pennsylvania State Day in 1996. Palmer established a unique composer in residence and commissioning program with the ASO and several composers, including Arnold Rosner (1999- 2001) and Todd Goodman (2002-2006), that yielded dozens of world premieres.
Nick recently finished a 16-year tenure as music director of the Lafayette (IN) Symphony. His innovative programming and high artistic standards yielded the following quote from the Post And Courier: “without trepidation this reviewer is ready to state that the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and conductor are setting the bar higher and higher for other regional orchestras around the state and Midwest.”
As music director of the Owensboro (KY) Symphony, Palmer led the orchestra in several performances for Kentucky Public Television, performed twice for the governor's inauguration and Vice Presidential debates, and initiated an award-winning educational program that was honored by both the Kennedy Center and the League of American Orchestras. While music director of the Dubuque (IA) Symphony, Maestro Palmer led the orchestra at the International Dvorak Festival as orchestra-in-residence.
Palmer began his full-time professional conducting career as assistant conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony, conductor of the Florida Contemporary Ensemble and Jacksonville Opera, and music director of the Coastal Symphony Of Georgia.
A native of Hingham, MA, Dr. Palmer graduated cum laude from Harvard University and received his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Orchestral Conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Iowa, respectively. He also studied at the Juilliard School, the Pierre Monteux Domaine School, Aspen Music School, the Festival at Sandpoint, and the Accademia Chigiana in Italy, where he was a student of Franco Ferrara and Carlo Maria Giulini.
