Roderick Cox

In July 2020 Roderick Cox spoke to The New York Times about his commitment to changing historic and narrow perceptions of classical music. Through his own career both on and off stage he sets a standard for excellence, diversity, opportunity, and accessibility in the music he loves.

Berlin-based and American by birth, Roderick Cox’s invitations with the highest level of international ensembles include The Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. He is also founder of the Roderick Cox Music Initiative (RCMI, 2019), a program that nurtures and provides scholarships and opportunities for young musicians in order to make music more accessible. Elk Mountain Productions’ award-winning 2020 documentary film Conducting Life maps his journey and reflects his passionate belief in the transformative power of music. 

In 2023–2024 he makes his Canadian debuts with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the NAC Orchestra, as well as guesting with the Hallé Orchestra and Sinfonica di Milano, and returning to Orchestre national de Montpellier and Sinfonia Lahti. He will make summer appearances with the Staatskapelle Dresden and Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Caramoor Festival.

Roderick’s notable recording with the Seattle Symphony of William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony was released in February 2023. Nominated for the 2023 BBC Music Magazine’s Opera Award, Roderick’s recording of Jeanine Tesori’s powerful opera Blue, with the Washington National Opera Orchestra in association with San Francisco Classical Recording Company, was released on the Pentatone label in March 2022.

Winner of the 2018 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award by the U.S Solti Foundation, Roderick was born in Macon, Georgia. He attended the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, and later Northwestern University graduating with a master’s degree in 2011. In 2016, Roderick was appointed Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra for three seasons.