Joseph Schlefke has been Music Director and Conductor of the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra since 2001. His first position with the orchestra came in 1999 when he was appointed Apprentice Conductor. In addition to his work with the MPO, he is currently the Music Director and Conductor for two other orchestras in Minnesota. In spring of 2007, he was named Music Director and Conductor of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and he has been at the helm of the St. Paul Jewish Community Center Symphony since 2002. Earlier this season he returned to Theater Latté Da to reprise his position as Music Director for the remounting of their award-winning production of Puccini’s La Bohème, originally created in 2005 and featuring his complete rescoring of the opera for a small, Parisian café ensemble.
From 2002 – 2007, Joseph was the Music Director for the Heartland Symphony Orchestra, which serves the communities in central Minnesota . In 2007, he served as Music Director and re-orchestrator for Theater Latté Da’s successful production of Carlisle Floyd’s opera Susannah. Recently, he has conducted the Rose City Chamber Orchestra of Portland, Oregon; the Colorado Symphony Orchestra; the orchestra of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz , California ; and the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. Recent positions include Associate Conductor for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies; Assistant Conductor for the Berkshire Opera Company in Massachusetts, The Minnesota Opera, and the Moraine Symphony Orchestra (WI); guest conductor for the Buffalo Community Orchestra (MN); and Instructor of Music at Augsburg College. He also spent several seasons with The Minnesota Opera as Music Director and Conductor of the Midwest Educational Tour.
Joseph holds the degree of Master of Music with an emphasis in orchestral conducting from the University of Minnesota. He earned his B.M. from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is a native of West Bend, Wisconsin.
