A graduate of the UP College of Music, 28-year-old Jose Reyna says he is proud to represent the country—and the region—as a conductor overseas.

Without words, an orchestra speaks volumes. Nothing is as extraordinarily moving as the tapestry of orchestral music that engages the senses and stirs emotions. At the helm is the conductor, leading soaring melodies and subtle harmonies and steering every note with the movement of the baton.

In the United States, a Filipino conductor is making a name for himself while bearing our country's flag. Twenty-eight-year-old Jose Lorenzo Reyna, Jr. won the 2024 American Prize in Orchestral Conducting—College/University Orchestra Division. The prestigious competition recognizes artistic excellence in the performing arts at the national level, attracting some of the most talented conductors, ensembles, and composers from across the United States. Reyna showcased his technical prowess and musical versatility and impressed the judges with interpretations of Korngold's Der Schneemann Overture, Strauss' Death and Transfiguration, and Tan Dun's Eroica - Internet Symphony. 

“Being a conductor is a unique profession that often gets misunderstood,” Reyna shares with Esquire Philippines. “People might think it’s all about waving a stick in front of a large group of musicians, but in reality, it involves a lot of hard work and thoughtful decision-making. As a conductor, we wear many different hats—we’re sometimes businessmen, orators, politicians, and negotiators. A lot of the work happens backstage, and people don’t always see that. And as one of my grad school professors once told me, the most crucial part of a conductor's job is the preparation of the music. That means spending hours reading, analyzing, and studying the scores.

“The energy in the concert hall comes from the music inside me and how the orchestra reciprocates,” he adds. “It takes a great deal of immense concentration for me, which is why I often conduct without the score in front of me during performances. This allows me to focus more deeply on the act of making music.”

Making music in and of itself is the most rewarding aspect about what Reyna does, not being in the spotlight, the recognition, or the money. To him, collaborating with people to make music and conduct timeless masterpieces is most fulfilling, along with sharing music with his audience. “It's for them,” he says. “The music is there for the people to hear. I’ve always kept that in mind.”

Pieces by Bruckner and Mahler have had the most profound impact on Reyna, and composers such as Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Olivier Messiaen, Mason Bates, E.P. Salonen, John Adams, and Anna Clyne are his other favorites.

A conductor’s journey

Reyna’s journey has been long and arduous. His formal training as a conductor began at the University of the Philippines College of Music, where he was the first student admitted to the orchestral conducting undergraduate program. The course was reinstated after 30 years, partly due to his efforts.

“I was persistent,” he says. “I took matters into my own hands. I had to find my own teachers, I had my own curriculum, and eventually they gave me the green light. After more than three decades, the orchestral conducting program at UP was reinstated. God, I bet I was such a headache to the admin and the professors.”

Reyna realized in high school that he wanted to be a conductor, but his keen interest in music started much earlier. Surprisingly, it wasn’t classical music that opened his ears to melodies and sonic harmony, but pop music. Young Joe, at nine years old, was a huge fan of Queen who blasted the living room stereo with Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, and Bicycle after school. He recalls going to internet cafes and asking the staff to burn Queen tracks onto CDs back then. 

“At the time, I didn’t realize it, but looking back, I understand now why I was drawn to Queen,” says Reyna. “Their musical expression was so unique and different from what other bands or icons were doing at the time. So revolutionary. They had a sound that was considered somewhat ‘weird’ by many, but to me, it was just extraordinary. I loved their distinctiveness and the way they pushed musical boundaries of progressive rock in the ‘70s.”

When Reyna was a young boy, genres didn’t really matter. Everything was music, as far as he was concerned. It was all a matter of personal taste, of whether he liked what he was listening to. To this day, he still listens to a wide variety of music. He likes country music. His playlist includes songs by Queen, Luke Combs, Chet Baker, SunKissed Lola, Three Sacred Souls, Kanye West, King George, Juan Karlos, Jimmy Durante, and Morgan Wallen.

As a teenager, however, he found himself drawn to the film scores of John Williams, Alan Silvestri, and John Barry. He enjoyed imagining scenes and images in his head based solely on the music.

Reyna recalls the exact moment he realized he wanted to be a conductor. It was in the summer of 2008. He was at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, attending its annual open house event, Pasinaya. It was his first time to see a full orchestra, and luckily, he and his friends were seated at the highest balcony section, which offered the best acoustics in the hall at the time. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, with maestro Oscar Yatco on the podium, interpreted the finale from Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony. Reyna was in complete awe of the performance, and the experience, to him, was life-changing. 

Stellar achievements

Reyna has come a long way since. In 2019, he served as the conducting apprentice of Yuri Nitta with the Yamanashi Symphony Orchestra while pursuing his liberal arts studies at the Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan. He became the assistant conductor of the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater in 2022, and later, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra in the same role.

After only his first season, Reyna was promoted to associate conductor for the Denver Philharmonic’s 2023-2024 season. He has worked under renowned American conductors Brett Mitchell and Lawrence Golan, and Grammy Award-winning composer, Eric Whitacre. In addition, he finished his master’s degree in orchestral conducting and now serves as the conducting apprentice of the Grammy-nominated conductor Peter Oundjian. Reyna was also recently appointed as the new assistant conductor of the Aurora Symphony Orchestra for its 2024-2025 concert season.

He may have come a long way, but Reyna has not forgotten his roots. In fact, his debut performance in the US, during his first year of graduate studies at the Lamont School, involved a Filipino composition: By the Hillside by Antonino Buenaventura. “The piece was incredibly well-received by the American audience, and it felt especially meaningful to introduce a symphonic poem from my home country to that audience. It really was a special moment.” 

Asian representation

Reyna is proud to represent the country–and the region–as a conductor overseas. He is grateful for every opportunity. He thinks Asian representation in the arts, especially in North America, has improved significantly. “With diversity and inclusion efforts being prioritized across the continent, it’s high time for Asian artists to share what we can bring to the broader cultural landscape,” Reyna says. “Of course, there’s still work to be done, and the system is not without its challenges. It’s not perfect. But the growing openness of the West to cultural diversity is definitely a positive step forward.”

Reyna admits that empty seats at orchestra concerts are something you can find anywhere in the world, so he understands why there’s also a lot of work to be done in terms of fostering an appreciation for classical music in the Philippines. However, he says he truly appreciates what local orchestras are doing to bring classical music closer to Filipinos. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra regularly tours across different regions and provinces across the country. The Manila Symphony Orchestra, through its video game music performances, junior orchestra, and academy, provides a platform for connecting with younger audiences and nurturing emerging talent. The UP Symphony Orchestra, which has the moniker Orkestra ng Bayan, blends artistic excellence, higher education, and public service, and is dedicated to featuring works by Filipino composers.

The best piece of advice Reyna ever received came from one of his conducting teachers in grad school. “’No one cares about your success more than you do. As much as people may love you and wish you well, no one cares about you as much as you do. Not me, not your family, not your friends. It’s you, and only you,’” his professor said. It’s probably why Reyna has worked so hard to get where he is today.

Carving out his path

Reyna admits that the biggest challenge to being a conductor is carving out his own path and ensuring long-term sustainability in his career. Stability takes time to build in his field. It requires creating your own opportunities, connecting with the right people, waiting for the right moments, and even sometimes relying on a bit of luck.

“I consider myself fortunate to have had these things, but I recognize these are results of years of work, patience and a great deal of sacrifice. A conductor’s growth is gradual, and that’s simply the reality,” says Reyna. “For me, that meant studying in two different countries to open doors for myself. While the journey is far from easy, success in any leadership role demands tenacity and resilience.”

Reyna says he draws inspiration from the idea that he can always be better than his past self. He often envisions an improved version of himself, urging him to keep moving toward his goals. He’s always looking ahead. His musical journey is, to him, as exciting as ever.

“There’s a sense that something meaningful is just around the corner, even if I’m not entirely sure what it is or where it’s leading,” he says. “That sense of anticipation keeps me energized and moving forward. At the end of the day, I’m excited about the creative life I lead and all the possibilities it gives me. I just try to embrace the adventure every step of the way.”

Reprinted with permission from Esquire Philippines and Mr. Joe Reyna

Links to related articles in the Upsilon Sun:

Joe Reyna 2018 Wins 2024 "The American Prize in Conducting"

Joe Reyna 2018 Named Finalist in 2024 The American Prize in Conducting Competition

Young Filipino Conductor Wields a Masterly Baton on the World Stage