[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "tell%20me%20about%20Laura%20Jackson%20the%20new%20conductor%20of%20the%20madison%20symphony"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s what we know so far about **Laura Jackson**, who has been named the new Music Director and Conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO):\n\n---\n\n## Key Facts & Timeline\n\n- On **July 16, 2026**, Laura Jackson was officially named the fifth Music Director and Conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She will begin as **Music Director Designate** in the 2026\u20132027 season, and will fully assume the role in **fall 2027**. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- In her new position, she succeeds **John DeMain**, who led MSO for 32 years. ([symphony.org](https://symphony.org/laura-jackson-chosen-as-new-madison-symphony-music-director/?utm_source=openai))  \n- The contract begins in earnest in **2027\u201328**, with Jackson\u2019s initial seasons featuring preview concerts and early appearances. ([symphony.org](https://symphony.org/laura-jackson-chosen-as-new-madison-symphony-music-director/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## Professional Background\n\n- Jackson has been **Music Director and Conductor of the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra** in Nevada since 2009. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Her contract with the Reno Philharmonic runs through the **2028\u201329 season**, indicating she\u2019ll be managing major roles in both Reno and Madison simultaneously. ([laurajackson.net](https://www.laurajackson.net/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Education:  \n\u2002\u2002\u2022 Bachelor\u2019s degree in Violin and Conducting from Indiana University  \n\u2002\u2002\u2022 Master\u2019s degree and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Early roles: She was the **first female Assistant Conductor / League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow** at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2007. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## Artistic Profile & Style\n\n- Jackson is known for her versatility\u2014equally at home in classical-romantic repertoire and in championing **new music**. She commissions and premieres works, often with a strong community-engaged component. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- She has conducted widely across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond, including with orchestras in Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Algeria, the Philippines, and China. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## Why Her Selection Matters\n\n- Jackson becomes only the **fifth person ever** to hold the Music Director role in MSO\u2019s roughly 100-year history. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Her addition represents continued efforts by orchestras to expand diversity in leadership\u2014especially as only about one in nine U.S. orchestras had a female music director as of 2023. ([symphony.org](https://symphony.org/laura-jackson-chosen-as-new-madison-symphony-music-director/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## What to Expect in Her Early MSO Years\n\n- During the **2026\u201327 season**, while she\u2019s Music Director Designate, Jackson will conduct preview concerts such as Rachmaninoff\u2019s *Piano Concerto No. 2* with pianist Joyce Yang and Tchaikovsky\u2019s *Fourth Symphony* in November. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- Other early performances will include **Beethoven\u2019s Fifth Symphony** and contemporary works like Jennifer Higdon\u2019s *Concerto 4-3*. ([madisonsymphony.org](https://madisonsymphony.org/about/performers/musicdirectors-conductors/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you want, I can dig up more on her past major recordings, critical reception, or how orchestras typically handle transitions like hers\u2014happy to go deeper wherever you'd like."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "what%20recordings%20has%20she%20made.%20what%20other%20orchestras%20of%20major%20import%20has%20she%20conducted"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s a detailed look at Laura Jackson\u2019s recordings so far, plus the major orchestras she\u2019s guest-conducted and her international engagements.\n\n---\n\n## Discography / Recordings\n\n1. **Michael Daugherty: Route 66 / Ghost Ranch / Sunset Strip / Time Machine** \u2014 *Naxos Records*  \n   This is a collaborative recording with the Bournemouth Symphony, featuring three conductors: Marin Alsop, Mei-Ann Chen, and Laura Jackson. It showcases works by Michael Daugherty that evoke various landscapes, Americana, and conceptual ideas of time and movement. ([laurajackson.net](https://www.laurajackson.net/recordings?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **Spirit Musings** by Augusta Read Thomas \u2014 Recorded with Marc Rovetti and the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, this recording features Thomas\u2019s violin concerto *Spirit Musings*. Jackson conducts this work. ([laurajackson.net](https://www.laurajackson.net/links?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## Major Orchestras and Guest-Conducting Engagements\n\nLaura Jackson has an extensive track record of guest conducting both in the U.S. and internationally. Here are some of the more prominent orchestras she has worked with:\n\n- **Atlanta Symphony Orchestra** \u2014 She served as Assistant Conductor / League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow from 2004-2007, and has returned as guest conductor. ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Baltimore Symphony Orchestra** ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Chicago Symphony Orchestra** \u2014 Notably at Ravinia Festival, leading an all-Tchaikovsky program in 2025. ([laurajackson.net](https://www.laurajackson.net/news/12665?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Colorado Symphony Orchestra** ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Alabama Symphony Orchestra** ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Detroit Symphony Orchestra** ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **San Antonio Symphony** ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## International & Other Notable Appearances\n\n- **France:** L\u2019Orchestre symphonique de Bretagne-Rennes ([pensacolasymphony.com](https://pensacolasymphony.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024_25_Season_Program.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Canada:** Toronto, Windsor, and Winnipeg Symphonies ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Philippines:** Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Czech Republic, Poland, China:** Various performances across Europe and Asia ([pura-musica-artists.com](https://pura-musica-artists.com/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Algerian National Orchestra** \u2014 She was invited by the U.S. State Department in 2013, becoming the first American to guest-conduct it. ([takialsop.org](https://takialsop.org/fellows/laura-jackson/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can pull up critical reception for her recordings, or give you a full discography list with release dates."
    }
]