December 20th - 2026

 Russell Vinick serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra (Chicago), and Principal Conductor of Opera West in Santa Fe, NM.  As Music Director and Conductor of the LSSO, Vinick was awarded by the Illinois Council of Orchestras the 2010, 2015, 2025 “Conductor of the Year” Award, 2011 and 2018 “Programming of the Year” Award, and 2012 “Orchestra of the Year” Award and with the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra the 2023 “Orchestra of the Year.

Vinick served as the Cover Conductor for the Joffrey Ballet with whom he conducted numerous performances with the Chicago Philharmonic at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Chicago.  Vinick has been a guest conductor in concerts with the Chicago Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra (China), Shandong Symphony Orchestra (China), Kunming Symphony Orchestra (China), Marquette (MI) Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, IL All-State Honors Orchestra, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manchester (CT) Symphony Orchestra, University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, and the Petite Opera.