American conductor Todd Craven is the newly appointed Music Director/Conductor of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. Known for his musical sensitivity, amiable personality and passion for contemporary music, Craven advocates for the 21st century orchestra by creating programs that introduce classical orchestral music to people from all walks of life.

Mr. Craven was the First Prize of the 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Competition and former Assistant Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic, leading the orchestra in a myriad of concerts and assisting Maestra JoAnn Falletta. This past year, he made his debut with the Florida Orchestra in Tampa and has been invited to guest conduct the Goiânia Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. Previous guest conducting highlights have included engagements with the Detroit Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Loudoun Symphony, and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Co-Founder and Music Director of the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Craven is passionate about performing the works of living composers. Orlando Arts Magazine said of the “captivating” world premiere of Donald Yu’s Four Seasons, that Craven “held the ensemble together with precision, allowing each instrument to resonate while minding the role of the soloist.”

Previously a prize-winning trumpet player, Todd began his professional career as Principal Trumpet of the Sarasota Orchestra and performed with the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony and as a frequent guest artist at the Sarasota Music Festival. Mr. Craven studied orchestral conducting at the University of Michigan and the Peabody Conservatory and his mentors include Marin Alsop,  JoAnn Falletta, Kenneth Kiesler, Donald Schleicher and William Wiedrich.