Argentinian-Mexican conductor Alex Amsel has quickly established himself as a dynamic presence on both orchestral and operatic stages and as a dedicated music educator committed to serving students of all ages. Driven by a belief in music’s transformative power, Amsel works to integrate music into the fabric of each community he serves — reshaping how we think about society and our place within it. In the 2025–26 season, Amsel joins the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor.
Amsel gained international recognition through a televised performance at the George Enescu Competition in Romania, leading to invitations with orchestras across the region. As a music director finalist for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, he was praised for “a vibrant and textured account maintaining superb balance … punctuating a dynamic performance” (Chicago Classical Review). He served as Resident Conductor at Houston Grand Opera for the 2022–23 season, conducting Verdi’s La traviata and the world premiere of Jeremy Howard Beck’s Another City — a work developed through community dialogue and site visits focused on Houston’s unhoused population. He also held the John L. Magro Chair of Resident Conductor for the Cincinnati Opera.
Amsel concluded two acclaimed seasons as The Phoenix Symphony’s Associate Conductor leading subscription, film, education and outreach concerts. During his time in Phoenix, Amsel founded the Student Composition Project- a unique program for composers under 18 years old to work together on their composition and have it performed by The Phoenix Symphony. He is the curator and inaugural conductor of the orchestra’s Chamber Orchestra Series, family series and Casual Friday Night concert discussions. Amsel also served on the orchestra’s artistic advisory committee and patron experience task-force, and he was elected co-chair of the young professionals board.
A passionate educator, Amsel has reshaped the Phoenix Symphony’s education programs to focus on social impact through music, centering on underrepresented composers and themes such as empathy, teamwork and cultural understanding. He also founded the Student Composition Project, in which students ages 18 and under work with Amsel on their original compositions and culminating in premier performances by Amsel and The Phoenix Symphony. He is a frequent clinician and guest conductor for schools and all- region orchestras, designing cross-curricular programs that blend music with classroom learning. While at Peabody Conservatory, he worked with underserved Baltimore schools through the creative leadership immersion and social development initiatives, helping students compose original works that reflected their lived experiences. In 2023, he conducted a production of Massenet’s Cendrillon at the University of North Texas, continuing his commitment to supporting emerging artists.
Amsel spent three seasons with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, appointed by both Robert Spano and Miguel Harth-Bedoya, where he led symphonic, chamber and educational programs. He was selected for the Aspen Conducting Academy in 2020 and 2021, working closely with Robert Spano, Patrick Summers and Hugh Wolff, and he returned in 2022 as faculty and assistant conductor. He currently serves as cover conductor for Cristian Măcelaru at the Orchestre National de France and has collaborated with conductors including Manfred Honeck, Daniele Rustioni and Vasily Petrenko.
Amsel is in high demand during the summer season as both a conductor and educator. He has led orchestras at the Aspen Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, Round Top Music Festival and the Philadelphia International Music Festival. In 2019, he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado, and launched the inaugural chamber orchestra program for advanced students at the American Festival for the Arts Summer Music Festival in Houston — an initiative designed to develop artistic excellence and ensemble collaboration among young musicians.
An advocate for living composers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, he frequently programs works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Carlos Simon, Jessie Montgomery, Eleanor Alberga, Victor Agudelo and Carlos Zamora, among others. He was selected as an associate at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music under Cristian Măcelaru and has led recording sessions of world premieres at both the Peabody Conservatory and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Amsel completed his graduate studies under Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory, where he served as her graduate assistant while earning his master’s degree in orchestral conducting. He was also appointed choir master and assistant conductor of the opera theatre and choruses, leading performances of Donizetti’sL’elisir d’amore and Massenet’s Chérubin. He has worked closely with Larry Rachleff, Cristian Măcelaru, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Tito Muñoz and has participated in masterclasses with Hannu Lintu, David Zinman, Hugh Wolff, David Effron and Nicholas McGegan. He holds degrees from the New England Conservatory and The University of Texas at Austin.
During his free time, Amsel is a wine, biking, architecture, and Golden Retriever aficionado.