“The evening’s hero was Palmer himself, shaping the performance with fluency and authority, and eliciting splendid playing from the orchestra.  The first sign of things to come, in fact, was the superb rendition of the Act I prelude, done with a robustness and clarity that most ensembles could only envy.” –Joshua Kosman San Francisco Chronicle  

Barnaby Palmer comes from a family of noted musicians and artists. Born in Hong Kong, he moved to the United States at the age of 5 to pursue musical studies. 

Barnaby has studied conducting with Alan Gilbert, former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Rossen Milanov，Associate Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra; the late Michael Morgan, former Music Director of the Oakland Symphony, Festival Opera and Sacramento Philharmonic；and as well the late Larry Rachleff, former Music Director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and San Antonio Symphony.

He attended Interlochen Arts Academy for High School, Cleveland Institute of Music for his undergraduate degree and University of Michigan for graduate studies.

Upon graduation, Barnaby became first Music Director and then Artistic Director of San Francisco Lyric Opera.  A position he held for a decade.

Having received critical acclaim both as an orchestral and operatic conductor Barnaby made his Chinese debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Following that debut, he was made Music Director of the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and premiered many works with that organization.  During his time in China Barnaby would additionally be appointed Music Director of the Shanxi Symphony Orchestra, Resident Conductor of the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra and Guest Conductor of the Shanghai Philharmonic.

Barnaby most recently made his debut with the Brasov Philharmonic in an all-Mozart program and his Chicago Summer Opera debut conducting Benjamin Britten’s opera “The Turn of the Screw”.

Since his debut Barnaby has cooperated with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble, Szeged Symphony Orchestra, Brasov Philharmonic, Chicago Summer Opera, Den Fynske Opera, Bohemian Opera, Opera San Jose, Livermore Opera, La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Bohemian Orchestra, American Philharmonic, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, Harbin Symphony Orchestra, Shenyang Symphony Orchestra, Shanxi Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic, Shanghai Oriental Symphony Orchestra, Kunming Nie Er Symphony Orchestra, SHIYO Symphony Orchestra and Celibidache Festival Orchestra.