American conductor Kyle Dickson has built a reputation as an inspiring and compelling presence on the podium. Recipient of the 2021 Grant Park Music Festival Advocate for Arts Award and the Concert Artists Guild’s Richard S. Weinart Award, Dickson was recently appointed assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the Memphis Youth Symphony. From 2021-2023, Dickson was a Salonen Fellow with the San Francisco Symphony under the guidance of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen and assistant conductor of the MacArthur Award-winning Chicago Sinfonietta under Maestra Mei-Ann Chen.

As guest conductor, Dickson has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Wichita Symphony, and the Louisville Orchestra. In 23/24, he made debuts with the Pasadena Symphony, Marin Symphony, Portland Symphony (ME), Ballet Memphis, and returned to the Oakland Symphony and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As cover conductor, Dickson has been engaged by the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony as well as serving as assistant conductor for concerts with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Orchestre de Paris, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, he was selected as a Conducting Fellow at the National Orchestral Institute’s Conducting Academy led by Marin Alsop and served as the 2023 Festival Napa Valley Revzen Conducting Fellow.

A passionate educator regarded for his commitment to youth as well as diversity in the arts, Dickson was awarded the Weissberg Prize and the 2024 Spirit of Detroit Award for his series, MUSIC REPRESENTS. He was assistant conductor for Carnegie Hall’s 2022 National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) and has worked closely with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, Colburn Academy Virtuosi, Chicago Youth Symphony, and the Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra among other ensembles across the country. He has been guest conductor of the CSO Young Artists Competition and in 24/25 makes his debut with the Equity Arc Orchestra.

Trained as a violinist, Dickson was a prizewinner at the 2010 NANM National Concerto Competition. As guest artist, he’s held chamber music residencies at Indiana University-South Bend, the United World College of South East Asia, and served on the Violin and Chamber Music faculty at the New Music School (Chicago). He has performed with the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Lansing Symphony, Quad City Symphony, and as Concertmaster of the Chicago Composers Orchestra. Additionally, his playing can be heard on albums by recording artists such as John Legend, Chance the Rapper, Jessie J and others as a member of the Matt Jones/Recollective Orchestra.

Dickson attended the Colburn School and Northwestern University, studying conducting with Esa-Pekka Salonen, Victor Yampolsky, Mei-Ann Chen, and Kevin Noe.