Maestra Barbara Day Turner  is the founder and music director of the San José Chamber Orchestra, currently in its 28th season. She has premiered more than 140 new works just with SJCO. Named the 2012 Silicon Valley Arts Council “On Stage” Artist Laureate, she has conducted opera in Berlin, Germany and throughout the US, and guest conducted the Thuringian Symphony (Germany) as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes (Mexico), the Silicon Valley, Nova Vista, Redwood, South Valley and Billings symphonies and the North Fayetteville orchestra.

During 18 years with Opera San José, 15 with Utah Festival Opera and guest conducting engagements, in addition to standard repertoire, she has conducted Portland Opera’s Nixon In China, Utah Festival’s The Crucible, Porgy and Bess, and Vanessa, and the world premieres of operas by Alva Henderson, Henry Mollicone, George Roumanis, Randall Wong, Robert Hall and Craig Bohmler and Paul Davies. She is a frequent adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions and annual judge for the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, in addition to serving on the advisory boards of Opera NEO and the Delphi Trio, and on the board of directors of the National Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy group.

In 2018, Maestra Turner joined the Aquilon Music Festival in Oregon as music director and was recently appointed one of 4 Creative License Ambassadors for the City of San José. A highlight of her long history with Rimrock Opera- she conducted the world premiere of Nosferatu in 2004!