Biography

Known for her inspiring leadership, creativity, and an infectious spirit for music-making, JoAnna Cochenet is establishing herself in the conducting world as a sensitive and versatile artist. An ambitious and passionate conductor who knows both sides of the podium well, she enjoys exploring and sharing a wide range of repertoire and music-making experiences with both musicians and audiences in the orchestra and opera worlds.

Most recently, Cochenet was Assistant Conductor with the Nevada Opera Theatre’s show of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, conducting in one performance (2024), and Conductor of their production of Handel’s Acis and Galatea (2023); and Assistant Conductor for Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Alexandria [Prague] Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival in Alexandria and Castleton, Virginia (2023). She was selected as a Full Conducting Participant in the Cascade Conducting Master Class (2024, 2023), conducting the magnific Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations in concert (2023) as well as two new works, and was a recent Conducting Fellow with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania, conducting members of the guest Allentown Brass Band in rehearsal for the symphony. As a Graduate Assistant Conductor, Cochenet conducted the annual university student composition winner pieces on the Spring 2023 and 2024 concerts with the University of Nevada-Reno Symphony Orchestra, among conducting traditional works on other concerts. With this orchestra, she has also conducted several works on the 2023 Holiday Concert (including a piece she commissioned for brass and percussion) and conducted a chamber orchestra concert. She has also guest conducted the Nevada Wind Ensemble in concert, and frequently collaborates with contemporary composers.

Cochenet has conducted professional orchestras and soloists in master class- competitions, concerts, and rehearsals in the United States and Ukraine, studying under prominent working conductors, and working with both instrumental and opera soloists. Orchestras conducted in master classes have included: Omaha Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, National Presidential Orchestra of Ukraine, Bard Conductors Institute Orchestra, members of Tacoma, Asheville, Allentown, Norwalk Symphonies, and several others.

Cochenet has held conductor and director positions for several community organizations with orchestra and choir and has been engaged numerous times as Guest, Cover Conductor, and Clinician, including for several orchestra festivals and other concerts and rehearsals around the United States; and engaged as a music lecturer, consultant, music mentor, and adjudicator. She also offers consulting and coaching services on a limited basis.

A skilled string player and once dubbed a “monster viola player” by a fellow Omaha Symphony player, Cochenet has frequently performed professionally on viola and violin with many ensembles and touring groups including the Omaha Symphony, Washington Chamber Orchestra, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, Distant Worlds Philharmonic, Northern Nevada String Serenade, Rogue Valley Symphony, Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a Broadway tour, and more. She attained her DMA in Orchestral Conducting studies at the University of Nevada, Reno in May 2024, and holds additional degrees and certification in orchestral conducting, viola performance, and music education.

For more information and inquiries, please use Contact Form.