André Raphel begins as principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra with the start of the 2024-25 season.
The Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra in Poughkeepsie, NY has appointed André Raphel as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. His two-year term will begin in September with the start of the 2024-2025 season. He is conductor laureate of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, which he led as music director for 15 years. Other positions have included assistant conductor at the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Saint Louis Symphony. Born in Durham, North Carolina, Raphel earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Miami, and a master’s degree at Yale University. He received a diploma in conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music, and pursued further conducting studies at the Juilliard School, where he was awarded the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship and received an advanced certificate in orchestral conducting. In June 2025, Raphel makes his Berlin debut leading the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Recent appearances include engagements with the Boston Symphony and Minnesota Orchestra, and he has led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic. The Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra was known for decades as the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, and in May 2024 was reorganized as the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra.
