Described by Marin Alsop as a “powerful presence on the podium,” conductor Valery Saul is recognized for her dynamic leadership, technical command, and charismatic rapport with both musicians and audiences. In the 2026/27 season, she begins her three-season appointment as Associate Conductor with the Nashville Symphony.

Valery served from 2023 to 2026 as the Associate Conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and she is a regular cover conductor for the Oregon Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Charlotte Symphony. Saul is also an alumnus of the Dallas Opera Hart Institute for Women Conductors. Equally at home in the concert hall and the orchestra pit, Valery regularly conducts Opera, Ballet, Broadway, and Pops performances, earning praise for her versatility and passion for championing all genres of music.

She was a participant at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and fellow at the Bellingham Festival of Music, and she won Second Prize at the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Competition. Valery has participated in numerous conducting masterclasses with orchestras including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Music, University of British Columbia, and Portland State University, she holds degrees in both Conducting and Vocal Performance. Her mentors include Marin Alsop, Cristian Măcelaru, Nicole Paiement, Marcelo Lehninger, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and George Manahan.