Calling him "a maestro of the people," The New York Times featured SFCM alumnus Teddy Abrams this week for breaking barriers in classical music and reinventing the orchestra's role in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The music director was praised for embedding himself in his community and breaking the mold of modern conductors by creating new kinds of events and reaching out to different parts of the community. 

During his nine years as leader of the Louisville Orchestra, Abrams has helped the ensemble emerge from a period of turbulence to become what the newspaper calls one of the "most innovative in the United States."

The maestro graduated from SFCM at the age of 18 in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music and, after furthering his musical education for several years, became the youngest-ever conductor of a major orchestra in America at age 32.

This is not the first time Abrams has made headlines: He was named conductor of the year for 2022 by Musical America. He is also represented by Opus 3 Artists, the management company acquired by SFCM in late 2020.  

Read more about Abrams in his profile in The New York Times.