Guided by the belief that orchestras are living ecosystems shaped by human connection, American conductor Rachel Waddell brings a dynamic, collaborative leadership style to the podium.

Her international credits include being selected by Yannick Nézet-Séguin to lead the Orchestre Métropolitain at Domaine Forget as a featured conducting showcase winner. Nationally, she has guest conducted the Rochester, Las Vegas, and Denver Philharmonics, and the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, building a professional foundation that includes five years as Associate Conductor of the Canton Symphony Orchestra.

Currently serving as Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University and Music Director of the Longmont Youth Symphony, Rachel recently launched The CONCERT Program, a new collaborative initiative with the Colorado Symphony. Co-founder of Conductors for Change, a Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellow, and two-time winner of the American Prize in Orchestral Programming, she holds a DMA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Rachel will conduct Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Panama City Symphony’s Opening Night Concert on September 19, 2026 concert at Barbara W. Nelson Fine Arts Center at Bay High School. This concert will also feature guest pianist, Willis Delony.

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Argentinian-Mexican conductor Alex Amsel is quickly establishing himself as a dynamic presence on orchestral and operatic stages. He becomes the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Conductor in 2026/27, a promotion earned after one season as Assistant Conductor and his sold-out debut program curated for the Proof Series, and opens Utah Opera’s 2026-27 season.

Praised by the Chicago Classical Review for “a vibrant and textured account maintaining superb balance,” Amsel gained international recognition at the televised George Enescu Festival performance. He makes his Argentinian debut with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Entre Ríos and returns to the George Enescu Festival in the summers of 2026 and 2027. He has worked with l’Orchestre National de France, Tonhalle-Zürich Orchestra, and Camerata Regala Bucharest, amongst others.

Amsel completed two acclaimed seasons as Associate Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony, where he launched the sold-out Chamber Orchestra Series and self-founded the Student Composition Project, a mentorship program for composers 18 and under, yielding six world premieres. Former Assistant Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, he has led the orchestra in over 50 performances and returns this summer. He served as Faculty and Assistant Conductor at the Aspen Music Festival.

Opera credits include Resident Conductor positions at Houston Grand Opera, leading La traviata and the world premiere of Jeremy Howard Beck’s Another City, and Cincinnati Opera. An advocate for living composers, Amsel champions works by Gabriela Ortiz, Gabriela Lena Frank, Carlos Simon, and Jessie Montgomery and has led world premiere recording sessions at Rice University and Peabody Conservatory.

Alex will conduct Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Panama City Symphony’s November 14, 2026 concert at St. Andrew Baptist Church.  This concert will also feature guest violinist, Benjamin Sung.

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Driven by a vision to transform the concert experience, Ryo Hasegawa serves as Assistant Conductor of the Charleston Symphony. Known for his dynamic presence, inventive programming, and ability to connect deeply with musicians and audiences, he is building an international profile across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Recent highlights include his debut with the Orchestre Métropolitain, selected to conduct by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and serving as Assistant Conductor to his mentor Marin Alsop with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) on its Japan tour. He has appeared internationally with the Hamburg Symphony and has worked with orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and São Paulo Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2026-2027 season, he will make his subscription debut with the Charleston Symphony and NOSPR. 

Ryo will conduct Beethoven’s Eroica and Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, Panama City Symphony’s January 30, 2027 concert at St. Andrew Baptist Church. This concert will also feature our 2026 Emerging Artist High School Division Winner, Mana Takahashi.

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David Bernard is Music Director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Massapequa Philharmonic, and Eglevsky Ballet, and a sought-after guest conductor across the United States. Called “the Johnny Appleseed of Classical Music” by Long Island Weekly, Bernard has helped build classical music into the cultural fabric of communities and is thrilled to bring that same spirit of discovery to Panama City. Bernard’s performances and recordings have drawn acclaim from Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine, and Fanfare, and he was awarded Conductor of the Year and Platinum Prize winner at the European Classical Music Awards Grand Prix 2025. He is a certified film-concert conductor with Film Concerts Live, the John Williams Estate, and Disney Concerts, having conducted Jaws in Concert, the world premiere of the Star Trek VI Overture, and — next season — Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. A noted educator, Bernard developed the Musicianship in Performance seminar — teaching musicians to make and defend interpretive decisions — presented at the Juilliard School, Meadowmount, and Long Island University.

David will conduct With Love, Tchaikovsky, Symphonic Valentines, Panama City Symphony’s February 13, 2027 concert at Helen Blackburn Auditorium, Arnold High School. This concert will also feature our 2026 Emerging Artist College Division Winner, Joshua Thai.

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