JEFFREY PHELPS is in his second year as Orchestra Director at the Governor’s School for the Arts, recently conducting the GSA Orchestra at its Davies Symphony Hall debut in San Francisco. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Jeff has conducted the Virginia Symphony, the Artemis Chamber Orchestra (NYC) and the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra. As a cellist, Jeff has been part of the Tarab Cello Ensemble and the sections of the Virginia, Canton, Erie and National Repertory orchestras, as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional of the Dominican Republic . He has shared the stage with a variety of musicians including Josh Grobin, Al Jarreau, Kenny Rogers, Yo Yo Ma, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and members of the Berlin Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago Symphony. Jeff also enjoys studio work, recording in Nashville for the latest project of Flecktone, Roy “Futureman” Wooten. Jeff has been sponsored by Foundation Thyll-Durr, enabling him to travel to Elba, Italy for further study in conducting and the opportunity to teach chamber music. He also recently joined the faculty of the Traveling Notes for their summer festival in Perú. Jeff is an advocate for music as an essential element of every student’s public education. He strives to find new ways to help young people of every career path explore the diversity, awareness and independence that are inspired by the discipline, flexibility and compassion of a successful musical upbringing.