ARTISTIC STAFF

PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

Jim Bartsch began work as a conductor with the Minnesota Youth Symphonies in 1991, and was interim Co-Artistic Director from 2020-2022. He especially loves the energy young musicians bring to great orchestral music. Jim retired after teaching public school orchestra programs for 25 years in Northfield, Red Wing, and most recently in the Mounds View School District. Students in his school programs earned recognition including MMEA's Meritorious Orchestra Program, performances at the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Assn (MNSOTA) Middle Level Orchestra Festival, MMEA's Mid-Winter clinic, and others. Jim was awarded MNSOTA's 2022 Master Orchestra Teacher award, joining past winners (and MYS colleagues) Pat Kelly and Lucas Shogren.

Jim is an active guest conductor and clinician for festivals and camps throughout the Upper Midwest and Canada, and teaches with the Augsburg Suzuki Talent Education program. He took a hiatus from school teaching to serve as the Minnesota Orchestra’s Director of Education from 1999–2013, during which time the Orchestra won multiple Leonard Bernstein Awards for Educational Programming from the League of American Orchestras.

Jim has performed as violinist and violist in the Twin Cities and beyond, including with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and many others. One of his favorite activities is reading string quartets with friends.

He is past president of MNSOTA and serves on the board of the Minnesota Orchestra's Young People's Symphony Concert Assn (YPSCA).

Outside of music, Jim is an avid biker, hiker, and reader. He has climbed dozens of peaks throughout the United States, and traveled to Tanzania in August 2023 as part of a Global Volunteers team teaching English (and violin).