Conducting Biography

Maestro Raboy has been the Music Director of the Napa Valley Symphony (NVS) since 1990. In his 15-year tenure the NVS has grown from a community orchestra to a fully-professional symphony with a $2.4 million annual budget. The NVS now features a classical subscription series, a new Pops series (beginning in the 2004-2005 season) and a very extensive educational program. Under the maestro’s baton, the NVS has taken its place as one of the premiere North Bay area symphony orchestras. A recent review stated that “under Raboy’s crisp direction” the “Top-drawer Napa Valley Symphony” performed Rossini, Reznicek and Bruch in a “scintillating” manner (-- Pierce Carson, January 2005).

Asher Raboy is also an accomplished, and experienced Music Director/Conductor for Musical Theater, (having earned 5 prestigious Dean Goodman Awards for Musical Direction, for shows including Guys and Dolls, 1776, and She Loves Me) and a sought after Ballet Conductor. “His sensitivity and knowledge of each art form lends itself to sensitive, thoughtful accompaniment where necessary and rock solid rhythmic structure throughout each performance.” (-- Member of Reno Philharmonic). In 2004, Maestro Raboy was called upon to lead the Nevada Ballet Theatre in both their Northern and Southern Nevada Nutcracker runs. Reviewer Jack Neal reported that “ Tchaikovsky's fabulously lyric music conducted with panache by Asher Raboy and strikingly brought off by members of the Reno Philharmonic, and - much to his and the orchestra's credit for something they have all performed often – the Tchaikovsky score sounds as fresh as it must have sounded during its first performances.” Maestro Raboy has conducted the Reno Philharmonic for the Nutcracker since 1997. 2004 was his debut with the members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic who received him with rave reviews. Raboy also collaborated with the Bay area’s Diablo Ballet Company and served as their Music Director for several years.

Maestro Raboy has also established himself as an important educator of young audiences. He has created almost a dozen Young People’s Concert packages, which are noted for bright, witty scripts, clever arrangements when necessary, and thematic material that integrate easily with education standards.

Asher Raboy is a member of the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Asher Raboy is also a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.