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 serves as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, having made his debut with the orchestra in a sold-out program he curated, as part of their experimental Proof Series. At the orchestra's request, Amsel transitions to Associate Conductor in 2026.
Amsel gained international recognition through a televised performance at the George Enescu Competition in Romania, leading to engagements with the Camerata Regală, Romanian Youth Orchestra, and Arad Filarmonica. He currently serves as cover conductor for Cristian Măcelaru at the Orchestre National de France and has covered conductors with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Czech Philharmonic, and Budapest Festival Orchestra. 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).
An equally committed opera conductor, Amsel opens the Utah Opera's 2026–27 season conducting Armienta's Zorro, marking one of several significant mainstage credits across American opera houses. 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 — developed through community dialogue and site visits centered on Houston's unhoused population — while also serving as rehearsal conductor for productions including Mozart's Le nozze di Figaroand Ethel Smyth's The Wreckers. He held the John L. Magro Chair of Resident Conductor at Cincinnati Opera, and has conducted Massenet's Cendrillon at the University of North Texas and Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Massenet's Chérubin at the Peabody Conservatory.
Amsel concluded two acclaimed seasons as Associate Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony, leading subscription, film, education, and outreach concerts. There he founded the Student Composition Project — a first-of-its-kind program in which composers ages 18 and under work directly with Amsel on original compositions, culminating in world premiere performances by The Phoenix Symphony, with Amsel personally meeting one-on-one with every applicant regardless of outcome. He also curated and led the orchestra's2 inaugural Chamber Orchestra Series seasons, family series, and Casual Friday Night concert discussions. He also served on the Artistic Advisory Committee, Patron Experience Task Force, and was elected co-chair of the young professionals board.
A passionate educator throughout his career, Amsel designs cross-curricular programs for schools and all-region orchestras centered on social impact, underrepresented composers, and themes of empathy and cultural understanding. He is in high demand during the summer season as both conductor and educator, having 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 NRO in Breckenridge, Colorado, and launched the inaugural chamber orchestra program at the American Festival for the Arts in Houston. He has worked with underserved Baltimore schools through Peabody's creative leadership initiatives, helping students compose original works reflecting their lived experiences, and has consistently used emerging artist productions and student initiatives to support the next generation of musicians.
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 returned in 2022 as faculty and assistant conductor.
An advocate for living composers — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — Amsel 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 the Peabody Conservatory and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.
Amsel completed his graduate studies under Marin Alsop at the Peabody Conservatory, serving as her graduate assistant while earning his master's in orchestral conducting. 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 additional 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.