Debra Lynn, Conductor
Dr. Debra J. Lynn, conductor, stage director, and composer (she/her) has served as Conductor and Artistic Director of the Manchester Symphony Orchestra since 2020. She is also founder and Executive Director of Opera Today!, a professional opera company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dr. Lynn brings over 30 years' experience in academia as a voice and conducting pedagogue, opera director, and ensemble conductor. She has stood on some of the most prestigious podiums in the world including Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame University, Walt Disney World, the Vatican in Rome, the basilicas of San Marco in Venice and Saint Frances of Assisi in Italy, appearances in London and Austria, and multiple performances at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Debra often occupies the stage director's chair where she has worked with casts from collegiate to professional levels. She is highly regarded for her physical approach to comedic material, garnering such labels as "slapstick," "outrageous," "laugh-out-loud funny," and "hilariously chaotic." Debra particularly enjoys setting traditional operas with a pop culture flair such as: Die ZauberBarbie, Die Fledermaus as Batman, Falstaff on Wheels, and The Merry Widow as a parody on the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.
Debra holds a Doctor of Arts in Music degree with an emphasis in conducting and voice performance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior degrees from Truman State University and William Jewell College include emphases in conducting, voice performance, and music education. She has worked with Metropolitan Opera legends Nicholas DiVirgilio and Mignon Dunn as well as Kathleen Smith Belcher from the MET’s current roster of stage directors. Dr. Lynn has studied conducting under the tutelage of maestros Paul Vermel, Douglas Amman, Fred Stoltzfus, Paul Crabb, and Arnold Epley.
As a composer, Dr. Lynn writes both instrumental and vocal music and has received several commissions including Lilly and Plowshares Foundation requests. She particularly enjoys collaborative projects and has most recently worked with Nathan Granner (tenor), Jamie Chamberlin (soprano), Daniel Belcher (Grammy-winning, baritone), Farrell Vernon (saxophone), and Elizabeth Mikautadze (choreographer) as well as composers Olav Luksengård Mjelva, Jon Silpayamanant, Dominique Le Gendre and multiple projects with Stewart Copeland (founder and drummer of The Police).
Debra is married to cellist, Robert Lynn. They reside in North Manchester, Indiana where they raised four offspring and are currently owned by cats, Ella Fitzgerald and Hildegard von Bingen.
Dr. Lynn's composer web site may be found at debralynnmusic.org. She also produces the podcast "What's the Score?" available from all major podcast providers.