Dear DYAO Family and Friends,
We write to you today with exciting news and deep gratitude for your continued support of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra. This organization’s strength comes from your belief in what we do and we are proud to share several important updates that reflect where DYAO stands today and where we are headed.
After an extensive and thoughtful national search, we are thrilled to announce that DYAO has identified two exceptionally strong finalists for the position of Music Director: Dr. Renee Gilliland and Dr. Andrés Felipe Jaime. Both are seasoned conductors, accomplished educators, and passionate advocates for the transformative power of youth orchestras. Rather than select a single candidate from the audition process alone, our Search Committee and Board determined the best path forward is to offer each conductor a trial period during the 2026–2027 season, allowing our students, families, and community to experience each candidate in action before a final appointment is made.
Dr. Renee Gilliland is a Colorado-based conductor whose work spans university orchestras, professional ensembles, and music education advocacy. At CU Boulder, she serves as Associate Director of Orchestras and is Assistant Conductor of the Boulder Philharmonic. Her scholarship centers on diverse repertoire and sensory-friendly concert models, and she contributes as Youth Orchestra Assistant Editor for the African Diaspora Music Project. Most recently, she and the CU Philharmonia were named national finalists for The American Prize’s Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music.
Learn more about Dr. Gilliland: www.reneenoelgilliland.com
Dr. Jaime is currently Director of Orchestras at the University of Northern Colorado, where he serves as Music Director and Conductor of the UNC Symphony Orchestra and orchestral conducting faculty. Before joining UNC, he served as Assistant Music Director of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director of the Conservatory Orchestra at the National University of Colombia. He has worked with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony, Greater Miami Youth Symphony, and Broward Symphony, among others. A scholar as well as a conductor, he is the author of Orchestral Music of Latin America: A Catalog for Performers and a leading advocate for the symphonic traditions of the Americas.
Learn more about Dr. Jaime: www.andresfelipejaime.com
Dr. Gilliland will lead DYAO’s Conservatory Orchestra and Young Artists Orchestra in the Fall 2026 and Dr. Jaime will step in during the Winter 2026 cycle to lead both ensembles. For the Spring 2027 cycle, Dr. Gilliland will lead the Conservatory Orchestra and Dr. Jaime will lead the Young Artists Orchestra. We are confident that either of these individuals would be a remarkable steward of DYAO’s legacy. We look forward to sharing more about the final appointment in the year ahead.