Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra Appoints Music Director

Following a comprehensive eighteen-month search, the ensemble appointed Todd Craven as its new Music Director

Craven will lead the orchestra in its 35th-anniversary season.

Originally from Flint, Michigan, he began his career as a trumpeter, holding the position of Principal Trumpet in the Sarasota Orchestra.

Craven then studied conducting with Kenneth Kiesler at the University of Michigan, and later with Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory. In 2012, he made his conducting debut, and was the winner of the 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Competition.

“We are pleased to announce Todd Craven as our new NFSO conductor,” said Devin Stephenson, president of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.

“Todd brings a wealth of successful experiences and musicianship to the orchestra and to this region. There is no question that his leadership will keep the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra as the exemplar on the Emerald Coast. His reputation for building great programs and leading musicians to excellence is unparalleled in our area.”