Paxson Amy
Philharmonic Conductor
Paxson Amy’s love for orchestral music stems from a commitment to community-building. In 2026, he begins his tenure as conductor of the GTCYS Philharmonic and as a Teaching Assistant in orchestral conducting at the University of Minnesota, where he will study with Mark Russell Smith.
Previously, Paxson served as conductor of the Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra in Nashville, Tennessee, a community-run orchestra where he developed his passion for ensemble empowerment, for leadership which inspires each musician to take ownership of the orchestra’s artistic product. Other conducting engagements at Vanderbilt included the Vanderbilt University Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Opera Theatre, and Ballet Theatre. At Vanderbilt, Paxson studied conducting with Dr. Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi and horn with Professor Leslie Norton.
Paxson’s eyes were opened to the artistic heights a group of young musicians can reach when he participated as a horn player in Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra program at age 17. He has since traveled internationally as an orchestral musician, performing in Czechia and Paraguay, and was a recipient of Vanderbilt University’s Martin Williams Award for most outstanding undergraduate paper as well as the Richard C. Cooper Award, a recognition of leadership and impact in the greater Vanderbilt community. Other conducting mentors include Kevin Noe, Ho-Yin Kwok, and Thomas Verrier. Paxson will participate in Eastern Festival of Music’s conducting institute as a student of Gerard Schwarz in July 2026.