The Greenwich Village Orchestra

Barbara Yahr — Music Director

Photo by Adi Segal

Now in her tenth season with the GVO, Music Director Barbara Yahr continues to lead the orchestra to new levels of distinction. With blockbuster programming and stellar musical guests, the reputation of the GVO under Barbara’s baton has grown dramatically in recent years.

A native of New York, her career has spanned from the United States to Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Ms. Yahr completed a four year appointment with Lorin Maazel and the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1994. Her European debut conducting the Bayerischer Academy Orchestra on tour with Lorin Maazel as violin soloist prompted an invitation from the Symphony Orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich for the following two seasons. Successive engagements with the Munich Radio Orchestra for both concert and radio recordings earned her recognition in the German press. She served as Principal Guest Conductor for the Munich Radio from 1998-2000.

Her guest appearances include performances with the Dusseldorf Symphoniker, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Frankfurt Radio, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, Janacek Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, National Symphony, Columbus, Calgary, Chattanooga, Louisiana, New World, Ohio Chamber, St. Paul Chamber, Richmond Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and Anchorage Symphony. She has also appeared in Israel with symphony orchestras in Jerusalem and Elat.

Ms. Yahr is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College where she studied piano and philosophy. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Max Rudolf, and a Master’s degree in Music Theory from the Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Yahr also studied conducting with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School in Hancock, Maine, recently earned an MA in Music Therapy from New York University, and is currently a certification candidate at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy in NYC. She resides in the New York City area with her husband Alex Lerman and their son Benjamin.