Jonathan Taylor Rush, hailed as “a continually rising talent in the conducting world” by the Baltimore Sun, brings passion, unique interpretation, and a refreshing energy to the orchestral experience. Rooted in his musical upbringing within the church, Rush’s approach to conducting is imbued with elements of gospel and soul music.

The 2025/26 season begins with performances with the Nashville Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Danish Philharmonic and Atlanta Symphony, with more to be announced. Previous conducting highlights include debut performances with the likes of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Nairobi Philharmonic, and Washington National Opera.

Rush is committed to the performances of living composers and has premiered works by James Lee III, Fernando Arroyo Lascurain and Carlos Simon, and is a champion of the music of William Grant Still, Florence Price and Samuel Coleridge Taylor. As well as the traditional classical canon, Rush often welcomes creative powerhouses from a variety of genres to the orchestral stage and has worked with the likes of Cypress Hill, Leslie Odom Jr., Common, Wordsmith, John Holiday, Ledisi, Big Freedia, Darin Atwater, and Karen Clark Sheard.

Rush was named Assistant Conductor, then Associate Conductor, of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2020 to 2023, where he curated the orchestra’s inaugural Gospel Fest and served as Artistic Director of the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, leading the ensemble on its first-ever international tour through Europe at renowned venues such as Dvořák Hall in Prague.