About maestra Suzanna Pavlovsky

Dr. Suzanna Pavlovsky is an accomplished conductor, artistic leader, educator, and advocate for the transformative power of orchestral music. With a career spanning the former Soviet Union, Israel, Canada, and the United States, she has conducted professional, university, community, and student ensembles and has earned a reputation for musical excellence, imaginative programming, collaborative leadership, and an energetic connection with both musicians and audiences.

Based in South Carolina, Pavlovsky is the Founder, Artistic Director, and Music Director of the Palmetto Chamber Orchestra, where she has cultivated an ensemble distinguished by artistic ambition, engaging programming, and a strong connection to its community. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Eclectica!, an innovative interdisciplinary performing arts organization that brings together music, dance, visual art, and multimedia to create immersive experiences that expand the traditional concert format.

As a conductor, Pavlovsky is equally at home with symphonic repertoire, opera, and chamber orchestra literature, contemporary works, pops, and educational programming. Her artistic approach combines respect for the musical tradition with a commitment to imaginative programming and meaningful audience engagement. She believes that orchestras can be both guardians of great musical traditions and vital, forward-looking cultural institutions.

Pavlovsky's leadership extends beyond the podium. She has extensive experience building artistic relationships, mentoring musicians, developing collaborative partnerships, creating innovative programs, engaging diverse audiences, and connecting orchestras with the communities they serve. Her work reflects a deep belief that the future of orchestral music depends not only on exceptional performances, but also on creating experiences that are relevant, welcoming, and inspiring.

Her previous conducting appointments include Associate Conductor-in-Residence of the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra in Toronto, Associate Conductor of the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor at Michigan State University, Graduate Assistant at the Eastman School of Music, and Conducting and Teaching Assistant at the University of South Carolina.

An award-winning educator, Pavlovsky has taught conducting, music theory, aural skills, piano, improvisation, and music appreciation. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Carolina, master's degree in orchestral conducting from Michigan State University, master’s degree in music theory from Eastman School of Music, and bachelor's degree in orchestral conducting from Tel Aviv University and music theory and musicology from the Ashrafi Conservatory of Music in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

A two-time winner and scholarship recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation's National Orchestral Conducting Competition in Israel, Pavlovsky has also received the Graduate Teaching Award from the Eastman School of Music and the William H. Nolte Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching from the University of South Carolina.

For Pavlovsky, conducting is ultimately about creating a shared artistic experience—one that challenges musicians, moves audiences, strengthens communities, and ensures that orchestral music continues to thrive for generations to come.