Rachael Worby

Who is Rachael Worby?

Rachael Worby is an American conductor who was the First Lady of West Virginia. She rose to fame during her 17-year tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia, which concluded in 2003. Rachael Worby is known in the orchestral community for her wide range of repertoire, exuberant style, talent and versatile command of musical genres.

She is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor of MUSE/IQUE in Pasadena, California and the Music Director and Conductor of the American Music Festival in Romania. One of the first woman conductors in the country, Worby also was the Music Director and Conductor of the Young Peoples Program at Carnegie Hall in New York. Most recently, she was the Music Director and Conductor for the Pasadena POPS.

As a guest conductor, she has led orchestras throughout Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. In 2006, at the invitation of American soprano, Jessye Norman, Ms. Worby conducted both the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra accompanying Ms. Norman in her first appearances in mainland China. The musical relationship between Ms. Norman and Ms. Worby continues to flourish. They appear together at music festivals and concert halls throughout the world.