Rebecca Lord brings to her career as a choral and orchestral conductor a versatile background as a soprano, violinist, dancer, and actress. Her musical journey began at the age of two when her mother placed a violin in her hands. Rebecca’s early studies under accomplished musicians at the Eastman School of Music and SUNY Buffalo were followed by a baccalaureate degree (summa cum laude) in vocal performance from Georgia State University, where she studied under Dwight Coleman and Alan Raines, while also beginning a career in church music in Atlanta.

After relocating to New York, Rebecca performed as a soprano soloist with the Trinity Wall Street and Bach Vespers choirs and earned a certificate in acting from the Circle in the Square Theatre School. Her fifteen-year career as an actress included two years in residence with the Tony Award– winning Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. As a violinist, she has performed with symphony orchestras and for opera, ballet, and theater companies.

In addition to her performance career, Rebecca has taught both undergraduate and graduate students, conducted school choirs in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Utah, and engaged with thousands of K–12 students through outreach programs. She has published articles in journals of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

Rebecca’s path to a focused career in conducting was inspired by her musical experiences in Atlanta and New York and by a desire to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, a conductor. She earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in conducting from UCLA, studying under Donald Neuen. At UCLA, she was named the Outstanding Graduate Student in Music. After her graduation, Rebecca served as UCLA’s Associate Director of Choral Activities and Director of Choral Outreach. She later joined the choral faculty at Brigham Young University–Idaho. Rebecca has also worked as Chorus Master and Assistant Orchestra Conductor for Arizona Musicfest and Assistant Conductor for the internationally televised “Hour of Power” choir. She has appeared as a guest conductor and clinician across the nation, including in prestigious venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and, in 2024, with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in performances of Haydn’s oratorio The Creation.

Donald Neuen’s influence on Rebecca began before they met and has continued since their time together at UCLA. During six of Neuen’s years at Eastman, Rebecca was down the hall taking violin lessons and theory classes—and possibly crossing paths with the man who would later become her mentor. Her musical experiences in Atlanta were also shaped by the legacies of Robert Shaw and Donald Neuen, whose work with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and Chamber Chorus, along with their teaching at Georgia State University, left an indelible mark. Rebecca’s conducting teacher, Alan Raines, had been mentored by Don, and the shared choral approaches of Shaw, Neuen, and Raines ignited Rebecca’s passion for conducting.

Studying with Neuen at UCLA felt like “coming home” musically, and his ongoing mentorship since his retirement has been a vital part of Rebecca’s journey. Contributing to this rich choral legacy is both a great honor and a joy.