Summer Neighborhood Concert: Austin High School

urrently serving as the assistant conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the resident conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Jacob Joyce, age 30, is quickly gaining recognition as a dynamic and innovative presence on the podium. Jacob made his debut with several American orchestras in past seasons, including the Detroit, St. Louis, and Houston symphonies. Abroad, he has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the NDR-Sinfonieorchester, the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, and the Frankfurt Museumsorchester.  

Jacob is an advocate for bringing classical music to new audiences. He is the host and creator of the podcast Attention to Detail: The Classical Music Listening Guide, which provides people of all backgrounds with basic techniques for listening to classical music. He also works extensively with educators, music teachers, and orchestra directors, providing career advice and instruction to students across the country.

Jacob studied orchestral conducting with Hugh Wolff at the New England Conservatory as well as at Tanglewood and the Aspen Music Festival. In recognition of his work, he was awarded the Robert Spano Conducting Prize at Aspen, and was a semifinalist in the LSO Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and the Solti International Conducting Competition. Jacob graduated from Yale College in 2014, with a bachelor’s degree in music and economics. He is also an accomplished violinist, having performed with several orchestras nationwide. 

Cuban-born violinist Rainel Joubert joined the Houston Symphony as a Community-Embedded Musician in 2016. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, the Opera and Ballet Orchestras of Havana, and has played for many renowned musicians, including Claudio Abbado, Gidon Kremer, Erick Grossman, Ilmar López Gavilán, Paul Kantor, and the Borromeo String Quartet. 

His many awards include being named one of four finalists of the 15th Annual Sphinx Competition, First Prize in the Concerto Competition of the University of Southern Mississippi, and Second Prize in the Violin Competition and Best Interpretation of Cuban Music at the 2006 Union de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (Cuban Artists and Writers Union). 

As a member of Sphinx Virtuosi, he performed in important halls such as New World Center (Miami), Kennedy Center (Washington), Carnegie Hall (New York), and participated in extensive community engagement activities. He speaks three languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and English) and holds a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Southern Mississippi.