Music Director

Beginnings and Education

American conductor, Andrew Neer, was born in Tucker, Georgia and currently resides in Grosse Pointe,  Michigan with his wife, Mary Lynn. He is quickly becoming known for his dynamic and expressive conducting style. His focus has been to educate and expand appreciation of music. He believes that at the heart of everything, music is the soul of America and provides transformative experiences for those performing and participating in the audience.

Having lived in Macomb County most of his life, he is thrilled to continue his journey with the Macomb Symphony Orchestra family. He attended Central Michigan University (CMU), studying Composition, Trumpet, and Music Theatre Performance. Following his time at CMU, he obtained two Master of Music degrees in Composition and Conducting from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. He is recently ABD in the world-renowned University of Michigan, Orchestral Conducting program, studying with Kenneth Kiesler.

His composition experience ranges from that of the art song to film scores. As a composer, he had the pleasure of working under the instruction of Dr. James Hartway (WSU), Dr. David Gillingham & late Dr. Jose-Luis Maurtua at CMU. He has worked with musicologists Dr. Eldonna May and Dr. Steven Whiting and Theorist Dr. Karl Braunschweig in his studies.

Conducting at home & internationally

In the summer 2013, he was invited to conduct Verdi’s La Traviata for Michigan Opera Theatre’s community programs, receiving high acclaim. In early 2016, he embarked on an international conducting career, appearing with orchestras in Romania and Bulgaria. He is honored to study privately with orchestral conductor & mentor Kenneth Kiesler and recently completed Doctoral studies in Orchestral Conducting at the world-renown University of Michigan. In addition to working with orchestras, Mr. Neer has been honored to lead choruses and conduct operas in and around Metropolitan Detroit. He has been a clinician to schools and professional organizations in metropolitan Detroit.

In addition to the Macomb Symphony Orchestra, Andrew is honored to serve as the Artistic Director / Conductor of Oakland Choral Society (Bloomfield Hills MI) and Music Director / Conductor of the Orchestra Sono (Bloomfield Hills). In 2023, he will earn a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Michigan. He holds Master of Music degrees in Composition and Conducting from Wayne State University, Detroit MI. He is an active member of ASCAP, The Conductors Guild, League of American Orchestras, College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), and The Society of Composers International. He aspires to create opportunities to share music with all concertgoers, those who love orchestral music – and those who don’t know they love it – yet…

For more information on Mr. Neer, please visit andrewleeneer.com