JoAnn Falletta, born in 1954 in Queens, New York, is an American conductor. She started her musical career as a guitarist and mandolinist, performing with the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. Her interest in conducting began at the Mannes School of Music, where she directed the student orchestra from her first year. She held early roles with orchestras including the Jamaica Symphony and Long Beach Symphony. In 1991, she became music director of the Virginia Symphony, serving until 2021. Concurrently, Falletta formally took up the post of music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999 and continues to serve, with her contract extended through the 2028–2029 season. She has recorded over 70 albums featuring works by composers such as Brahms and Schubert. Falletta's awards include the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award and the Bruno Walter Conducting Prize.
