John Larry Granger, Music Director

John Larry Granger is in his twenty-second season as Music Director of the Santa Cruz County Symphony. During Mr. Granger’s tenure, the orchestra has broadened its musical audience by offering regular Classical Symphonic concerts, Pops concerts, and innovative educational programs. Collaborations with other performing arts organizations have flourished as well.

Maestro Granger has been a featured guest conductor with the New Haven Symphony, San Jose Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, and Springfield Symphony, among others. He is in his tenth year as Music Director/Conductor of the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre Orchestra, served for nine years as the Music Director of the South Coast Symphony Orchestra in Costa Mesa and was the conductor of the Pomona College Orchestra from 1989-91. His theatre production work has included Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures, for which he received the Drama Logue Award for Musical Direction.

Deeply devoted to music education, Granger conducts the orchestras of Youth Music Monterey and conducted the Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony for many years. He also served as conductor for the Evening of Concertos, a series of professional symphony concerts featuring young solo artists at Herbst Theater in San Francisco.

Mr. Granger attended the International Institute for Orchestral Conducting from 1979-81 and did private study in Dresden with Herbert Blomstedt, Music Director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony. Born in New York, Granger began his career as an oboist and English horn player.

Maestro Granger is generously sponsored by
Peggy Minier & Mission Industrial Land