Conductor Jacob Aaron Schnitzer brings musical clarity and a theatrical sensibility to symphonic, operatic, and contemporary repertoire. An innovative force in classical music, Schnitzer leads immersive performances that expand the expressive possibilities of the orchestra and captivate audiences.

In the 2025–2026 season, Schnitzer serves as Music Director of the Gateway Chamber Orchestra, where he leads masterworks and family concerts with symphony and studio recording musicians from throughout Clarksville, Nashville, and Middle Tennessee. He is Associate Conductor of The Missouri Symphony and Artistic Director of Density512, a trailblazing chamber orchestra hailed by Gramophone as a “crack new-music ensemble.”

A recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Schnitzer studied conducting at the Richard Wagner Bayreuth Festival and Domaine Forget de Charlevoix. His collaborations with living composers have resulted in more than 70 world premieres, with recordings appearing on DensitySOUND, Toccata Classics, and an upcoming release on Navona Records.

Equally at home in education and community engagement, Schnitzer is Director of Orchestral Activities at Austin Peay State University and previously served on the faculties of Kent State University and The Missouri Youth Symphony. As a composer-conductor in residence, he toured with students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, including performances at Carnegie Hall.

Schnitzer has participated in masterclasses with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Semyon Bychkov, Simone Young, and Pablo Heras-Casado, and studied privately with Kevin Noe, Bramwell Tovey, Joshua Gersen, and Peter Bay. He holds degrees from the UMKC Conservatory, Boston University, and The University of Texas at Austin.

When not dreaming of ways to change the world, Jacob hikes, cooks, meditates, reads, and sings to his orange tabby cats.