RENEE NOEL GILLILAND

ABOUT

Conductor Renee Gilliland is known for her passionate leadership, diverse programming, and inspiring performances. She currently serves as Assistant Conductor of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Last season she stepped in to conduct a performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, Strauss’s Four Last Songs, and Jandali’s Phoenix in Exile. Gilliland has conducted the orchestra’s Discovery Concerts, Cirque de la Symphonie, pops, and other outreach performances. This season, Gilliland will debut with the Colorado Symphony conducting the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert. Further guest conducting engagements include performances with the Denver Young Artists Orchestras, and honor orchestras in Colorado and Texas.

As a guest conductor, Gilliland has appeared with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Aurora Symphony, the Playground Ensemble, Boulder Concert Band, and Bang on a Can All Stars. She has also been an invited guest conductor at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Gilliland currently serves as the Vice Chair of the American String Teachers Association Conducting Committee and as the Youth Orchestra Assistant Editor for the African Diaspora Music Project.

Previously, Gilliland held the position of Associate Director of Orchestras at the University of Boulder Colorado. Under her direction, the Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestras received recognition as National Finalists for The American Prize Award for the Performance of American Music in 2023 and 2026. During her tenure, Gilliland was featured in the award winning documentary Song of Pueblo, where she conducted the world premiere of the eponymous oratorio written by Grammy winning artist, Daniel Valdez. This performance featured El Pueblo Ensemble, the CU Boulder Chamber Orchestra, orchestrations by CU alumni Max Wolpert and Ilan Blanck and is currently streaming on Rocky Mountain PBS.

Former conducting posts include Associate Conductor of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of the Lamont School of Music Symphony and Opera Orchestras, and Music Director of the Anschutz Medical Orchestra, among others. As a cover conductor, Gilliland has worked most recently with Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony. Additional covering has included concerts for the Colorado Music Festival with Music Director, Peter Oundjian, and guest conductors Hannu Lintu, Gemma New, and François López-Ferrer.

Gilliland holds an Artist Diploma in conducting from the University of Denver and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting and Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Music Education and Certificate of Violin Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Music in Viola Performance and Outside Area in Conducting from the Indiana Jacobs School of Music. She has participated in conducting workshops in New York, Connecticut, Los Angeles, and Chicago, as well as abroad as a conductor with the Vienna Opera Academy, and festivals in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.