Dr. Jacob Harrison serves as the director of orchestral activities and associate professor of conducting at Texas State University where he leads the orchestra program, conducts the major opera productions, and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting.
From 2009 to 2018, Dr. Harrison served as the director of orchestral activities at Iowa State University where he led the ISU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, conducted the opera productions, and taught undergraduate conducting. During his time at ISU, he received the Early Acheivement in Teaching award and received the Shakeshaft Master Teacher Award in 2014.
Dr. Harrison has conducted orchestras across the country, leading performances of the great symphonies, concertos, overtures, choral masterworks, opera, and ballet. He is an ally of living composers through the constant inclusion of their works in his programming along with commissioning and premiering new works for orchestra.
As an in-demand conductor and educator, Dr. Harrison maintains a busy schedule conducting professional orchestras, all-state and honor ensembles, and offering clinics around the country. Recent engagements include leading performances with the Arizona Ballet and The Phoenix Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and All-State honor orchestras in Arizona, Iowa, Arkansas and North Carolina, and he has been invited to lead clinics with orchestras in Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Jacob and his wife and son make their home in Austin, Tx where the traffic is bad but the barbeque and breakfast tacos are plentiful.