Timothy Verville

Music Director & Conductor

Born in western Oklahoma, the award-winning Timothy Verville spent part of his youth growing up about as far as one can from the concert hall: on a farm where his family raised and trained show horses. Eventually, they moved to “the city” where he was exposed to music education in public schools. And from there, his interest and drive in creating and sharing music propelled him to stages and acclaim around the world.

Verville is a uniquely multifaceted and multi-talented conductor of the modern orchestral sphere. His unbound creativity, innovation, and desire to share the power of the arts unite in creating performances and musical experiences that engage and captivate audiences. His work is hailed as “awe-inspiring” and for “bringing down the house” (Atlanta Arts Scene.) He is praised for “finely focused conducting, (in which) the energy and pace of the music never sagged” (The Tulsa World.)

Verville’s international engagements include the inaugural Kyushu International Festival in Japan, the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, the Hita Civic Orchestra, the Chikushi Jogakuen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kyushu Philharmonic Orchestra, in Russia with the Far Eastern Symphony, Opera Panama, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Panama. In the U.S., his appearances include the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Hendersonville Symphony, Signature Symphony (Tulsa), Symphonicity (Virginia Beach,) and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra.

As a leader of orchestras, he fosters growth in every organization he serves. In 2016, he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. His focus on audience engagement and outreach has been recognized throughout the community and in the League of American Orchestra’s Symphony magazine. In 2023, the Georgia Secretary of State proclaimed him an Outstanding Georgia Citizen for his service. 

Through his imaginative and collaborative programming and visionary leadership, the Georgia Symphony has expanded its performance footprint and built bridges to underrepresented populations. His organizational partnerships foster a mission of inclusiveness, opportunity, and transformation. Collaborating with Girls Who Conduct, Verville created a fellowship for women conductors with the Georgia Symphony. A special partnership with Make a Wish Georgia fulfilled a young person’s wish to conduct an orchestra. Verville also designs the Georgia Symphony’s “Sensory Friendly” concerts, which are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

In Phoenix, he served from 2010 to 2017 as founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Arizona Pro Arte. His presentations of unique and highly anticipated collaborative events resulted in exponential organizational and audience growth. During his tenure, the orchestra grew to include a full classics season, a summer series, educational performances, a chamber music program, and a dance ensemble. He established a composer in residence and instituted an annual “Call for Scores” competition that received over a thousand applicants from forty countries.

In 2007, Verville began a relationship with the Boston Chamber Orchestra encompassing over a decade of music-making. First performing as an instrumentalist in the orchestra, he was invited to become Associate Conductor and later Principal Guest Conductor. He toured internationally with the ensemble and recorded music for their first CD release.

Additional previous engagements include Music Director and Conductor of the North Valley Chamber Orchestra (AZ), Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra (AZ), and Conductor of the Pollard Theatre (OK).

With a varied background, his musical interests extend beyond the classical canon. For many years you were just as likely to find him on stage performing classics, in the pit conducting music theatre, or playing electric bass in a blues or rock band. He has performed on orchestral and commercial recordings for regional airplay and worldwide releases. 

Additionally, Verville occasionally composes and has had several premieres in the U.S. His Requiem Americano received an honorable mention in the American Prize for Composition. The collaborative work Liminal: an Atlanta Concerto for Amplified Looping Cello and Orchestra is a genre-blending piece co-written with Okorie “OkCello” Johnson. His creative output includes choral and symphonic works, electronic music, and background tracks for a video game.

Verville regularly commissions and conducts regional, national, and world premiere compositions ranging from operatic and symphonic to dance music. He has counseled young and emerging composers and worked with the Tucson Symphony’s Young Composers Project.

Also an award winner in the American Prize for Orchestral Performance, Verville was mentored by esteemed conductors Bruce Hangen, Timothy Russell, and James DePreist. He performed in masterclasses with David Effron, Markand Thakar, and Neil Varon. At the renowned Monteux School and Music Festival, he was selected as an orchestral assistant while studying with Michael Jinbo. Verville earned degrees in music from the Boston Conservatory, the University of Oklahoma, and Arizona State University.