--- description: Jonathon Heyward, the youngest current music director of any major U.S. orchestra, is cracking open the world of classical music title: The Conductor on a Mission to Make Classical Music for Everyone image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1d035a20098d48b/698a40e2e6e84a8a262b08af/next-generation-leaders-jonathon-heyward.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Oct 05, 2023 # The Conductor on a Mission to Make Classical Music for Everyone Jonathon Heyward, U.S. by [Laura Zornosa](/author/laura-zornosa/) ## Laura Zornosa Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Laura Zornosa is a reporter at TIME.  Jonathon Heyward conducting the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina. Jonathon Heyward conducting the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina.Alyona Semenov—Charleston Symphony Jonathon Heyward came to classical music at age 10, when he picked up the cello—an instrument that felt bigger than he was at the time. Now a conductor splitting his time among a trifecta of prestigious positions, he is a rising star in the field. Starting this season, he becomes music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). He was recently named the music director of the [Lincoln Center Summer](https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/v/about "undefined") Orchestra, effective next year. And he continues his role as the chief conductor of Germany’s Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie orchestra, which he has held since 2021\. Heyward, 31, is BSO’s first music director of color and the youngest current music director of any major U.S. orchestra. To that, he says, “Challenge accepted.” **Read More:** [_Why We Remember Music and Forget Everything Else_](https://time.com/6167197/psychology-behind-remembering-music/ "undefined")  Jonathon Heyward conducting the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina. Alyona Semenov—Charleston Symphony It is definitely a challenge, a juggling act that requires daily compartmentalization and a typical wake time of 5 a.m. But the collective power of [classical music](https://time.com/6221055/gustavo-dudamel-music-equality/ "undefined") keeps him excited about the work. “The power of people inspires me,” he says. “What’s so amazing about the art form is that through so many talented people, you create one thing that is more powerful than anything.” The BSO is the only U.S. orchestra to have two homes: the Meyerhoff Concert Hall in Baltimore and the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Md. The orchestra has also been traversing the state, bringing music to those who might not have accessed it. The experience has shown Heyward that audiences thrive when the orchestra selects pieces that speak to them. “For me, this opens up accessibility,” he says. “This opens up this feeling that classical music could be for everyone, which is my real mission.” On A Mission To Make Classical Music for Everyone ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/6317276/jonathon-heyward/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/6317276/jonathon-heyward/"},"headline":"The Conductor on a Mission to Make Classical Music for Everyone","datePublished":"2023-10-05T10:42:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:21:25.340Z","description":"Jonathon Heyward, the youngest current music director of any major U.S. orchestra, is cracking open the world of classical music","url":"https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/6317276/jonathon-heyward/","keywords":["franchise","Magazine","nextgenerationleaders","Next Generation Leaders","sponsorshipblock","NGL2023"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1d035a20098d48b/698a40e2e6e84a8a262b08af/next-generation-leaders-jonathon-heyward.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Zornosa","jobTitle":"Laura Zornosa is a reporter at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/laura-zornosa/"}],"creator":"Laura Zornosa","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1d035a20098d48b/698a40e2e6e84a8a262b08af/next-generation-leaders-jonathon-heyward.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/next-generation-leaders/6317276/jonathon-heyward/","name":"The Conductor on a Mission to Make Classical Music for Everyone"}}]}] ```