Jeannine Wagar is a distinguished composer, conductor, and organist whose career spans multiple disciplines, from orchestral leadership to contemporary composition and performance. With a deep passion for both traditional and modern music, she has left an indelible mark on the classical and contemporary music scenes, performing, conducting, and composing internationally.
Currently serving as the organist at Highlands Methodist Church in Bella Vista, Arkansas, since 2010, Wagar has also spent over a decade as a gigging pianist in Fayetteville. Her work as a composer has flourished in recent years, collaborating with Ryan Cockerham on electronic music projects, including five single EPs, an album, 14 Words For Beauty, which includes music and video, audiobook music tracks and independently composing for various projects, including The Island of Dr. Moreau soundtrack.
Wagar’s experience extends beyond composition to music production. She produced Bach, The Transcriptions, with pianist Jean Alexis Smith on the MSR Classical label, co-produced The Eleanor Hovda Collection, a four-CD set featuring scores, program notes, and essays from colleagues. Her dedication to musical excellence and innovative programming was also evident in her tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra from 1999 to 2008.
Her conducting career has brought her to national and international stages, leading orchestras such as the Thailand Philharmonic, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, and the Mexican National Symphony. She has also worked extensively in the U.S., as Principal Guest Conductor of the Women’s Philharmonic in San Francisco, and appearances with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and San Diego Symphony, among others.
In the academic world, Wagar has held full-time faculty positions at Hofstra University and Carleton College, as well as adjunct positions at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Cruz. As a champion of contemporary music, she has collaborated with prestigious ensembles, including Bang on a Can, ISCM Chamber Players, and the San Francisco Contemporary Players.
Her contributions extend to opera and dance, co-creating innovative productions such as Nights at the Opera and The Marriage of Figaro with stage director James Marvel. She has worked with renowned dance companies, including the Moscow City Ballet, Harlem Dance Theater, and Cirque Orchestra.
A specialist in Latin American music, Wagar has published extensively on Mexican composers, hosted Emmy-nominated PBS productions, and directed international music festivals. She co-founded the Cuicani Chamber Orchestra with Eleanor Hovda, providing a platform for emerging composers in the U.S. and Mexico.
Wagar’s influence is further recognized through numerous grants, including those from the NEA and NEH, supporting projects that bridge cultural and musical traditions. She is also the author of Conductors in Conversation, a widely read collection of interviews with leading conductors.
Her discography includes recordings with PRISM Chamber Orchestra, and Common Sense Ensemble. Her work has been reviewed by major publications such as The New York Times and Fanfare Magazine.
Holding a Doctor of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting from Stanford University, Wagar also trained under esteemed conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt and David Gilbert. She studied organ performance at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Throughout her career, Jeannine Wagar has been a pioneering force in the world of orchestral and contemporary music, blending tradition with innovation and leaving a lasting legacy on the global music stage.
