Ernest Richardson

Richardson is presently the Principal Pops Conductor and Resident Conductor of the Omaha Symphony.

Since 1992, he has laid the groundwork for and led in the development of the Omaha Symphony’s successful Symphony Pops and the vaunted education and community engagement programs. He also holds the position of Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a community orchestra to a resident professional orchestra, attracting the area’s finest musicians.

A recipient of the 2016 Nebraska Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Arts Education, Richardson has encouraged and supported countless young musicians as the founding Artistic Director and CEO of the innovative Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory. In addition to conducting, Richardson is an accomplished composer and arranger, strategic planning facilitator, and occasional violist.