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Stephanie Rhodes Russell once sat beneath a grand piano in her family’s home, 8 years old, absorbing every note of her mother’s voice lessons. Decades later, these early memories in American Fork, Utah, would aid Rhodes Russell in leading world-class orchestras from Moscow to Charlotte and, now, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra — which she conducted on Jan. 16 and 17 during its annual “Wild West Rodeo” performances.

“I remember just kind of taking it all in,” Rhodes Russell says about her mother’s lessons. “Feeling the vibration.”

Rhodes Russell began piano at 5 and quickly became a natural collaborator. Her early strength was sight-reading — in layman’s terms, the ability to accurately perform music from written notation — a skill that made working with singers second nature and would later draw her toward opera.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in collaborative piano from Utah State University and a master’s in piano performance from the University of Michigan, she moved to Moscow as a Fulbright scholar, where she worked at the Bolshoi Theatre and specialized in Russian repertoire and diction. “Languages are such an important part of opera,” she says. “When you understand the language, you hear how a melody works differently.” She now speaks French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Russian fluently, skills that inform her musical interpretations.

Along the way, she found herself in opera’s deep end, assisting on two Richard Wagner “Ring” cycles (“Der Ring des Nibelungen”) — the four-opera, 15-hour endurance test of the classical world — working under world-renowned conductors Donald Runnicles and Philippe Auguin, an experience that sharpened her musical stamina and her sense of scale. “Ultimately, you’re taking what’s on the page, and you’re trying to bring it to life in sound,” she says. “You’re responsible for bringing all the components together.”

Her rehearsal process reflects this philosophy. “The first rehearsal is really about getting on the same page,” she explains. “Then it’s like diagnosing something … figuring out what needs work and fine-tuning the palette. I don’t make a single sound,” she adds. “I need [the orchestra] to really feel like I’m there for them.”

In addition to her steady rise in the world of conducting symphonies, Rhodes Russell serves as associate professor and music director of opera at the University of North Texas, a position she’s held since 2022. Feeling an unwavering commitment to educate the next generation of singers, performers, conductors, and composers, Rhodes Russell also founded the Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative, a nonprofit that equips emerging female artists with leadership and business skills. “You want to inspire and ultimately empower them to play their best,” she says.

But when she’s at home, life is less formal and more improvisational. With three young children, she admits, “Balance is nonexistent. But when I’m with [my family], I make sure I can give them 100%.” Whether shaping an orchestra’s sound or a family’s rhythm, her goal is the same — bringing people together to realize a vision.

“At the end of the day, the conductor is important, don’t get me wrong, but the musicians tuning into each other and really being on the same page is more important,” she says. “As a conductor, I really think I’m there to facilitate their artistry and help bring the best out of them.”

BY THE WAY …

What type of music do you listen to when you’re not conducting?

“I love silence because it’s hard to come by in my life. There is so much noise between the music and between the kids. If I can drive in silence, that’s a gift, but I also love podcasts. I love listening to podcasts and just giving my brain a break from the usual things it thinks about. My husband loves ’90s alternative rock, so there’s a fair amount of it playing in our household. I’m not opposed. I love a wide variety of musical styles.”

FROM THE FEED

February 11, 2026

4:18 PM