Current Director

Michael Roest

Current Music Director (2026 - Present)

Michael Roest is a conductor, educator, producer, and arts leader whose work centers on building inclusive musical communities, championing new voices in classical music, and creating transformative musical experiences.

As Founder and Music Director of the International Pride Orchestra (IPO), he has built an international platform for LGBTQ+ musicians to perform, connect, and advocate through music. Under his leadership, IPO has presented acclaimed festivals and concerts in San Francisco, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas, bringing together musicians from across the United States and abroad. Roest served as producer and conductor of the organization's festivals, which featured internationally renowned artists and collaborations with Peaches Christ, Thorgy Thor, and Davóne Tines while raising funds for organizations including LYRIC, SAGE, Whitman-Walker, and the Montrose Center.

Roest also currently serves as Music Director of the University of Michigan Life Sciences Orchestra and Music Director of the Michigan Pops Orchestra. He is also Assistant Conductor of the University Philharmonia Orchestra and Contemporary Directions Ensemble at the University of Michigan. Previously, he served on the conducting faculty of the San Jose Youth Symphony, founded the first Pre-College Contemporary Music Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, taught brass studies and directed the Oberlin Brass Ensemble at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and served as Executive and Artistic Director of the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra.

In addition to his artistic work, Roest has held senior leadership positions in higher education, including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Dean and Executive Director of Pre-College and Continuing Education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Roest holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, The Juilliard School, and the University of Michigan. He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Michigan, where he studies with Professor Kenneth Kiesler.

Past Directors