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 Clarskville, 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”. 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.

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 75 world premieres, with recordings appearing on DensitySOUND, Toccata Classics, and an upcoming release on Navona Records.

NEWS

July 2025 | Jacob is named Music Director of the Gateway Chamber Orchestra for its 2025-2026 season, an orchestra of leading symphony and recording musicians in Clarksville, Nashville, and Middle Tennessee. 

April 2025 | Density512’s album Rosner: Music for Symphonic Wind Band is released on Toccata Classics to critical acclaim by Gramophone Magazine and more; “the committed advocacy of Density512, a crack new-music ensemble…Well worth investigating”.