Barbara
Day Turner

Maestra Barbara Day Turner is the founder and music director of the San José Chamber Orchestra. An ardent advocate for new music, she has premiered more than 140 new works with San José Chamber Orchestra alone, as well as leading the first performances of 5 American operas. Named a 2012 Silicon Valley Arts Council “On Stage” Artist Laureate, Maestra Day Turner recently completed 15 seasons as Music Administrator and Conductor of the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. She frequently guest conducts for orchestras and opera companies in the US, Germany and Mexico, and conducted for Opera San José for 18 years. Maestra serves as a judge for the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, and on the advisory boards of OperaNeo in San Diego, the Delphi Trio, and on the board of directors for the National Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy association. She recently joined the opera program faculty at the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine.