Chad Goodman has received widespread praise for thrilling conducting that combines “precision, agility and fervor” and for displaying the “pitch perfect combination of abandon and subtlety” (South Florida Classical Review).

The 2023/24 season marked Goodman’s inaugural year as Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra—only the fifth leader in the orchestra’s prestigious seven-decade history. Highlights included Strauss’ Four Last Songs with soprano Christine Brewer, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Orli Shaham, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Goodman made his Minnesota Orchestra subscription debut in June 2024, stepping in on short notice to lead the orchestra’s season finale program featuring works by Smyth, Poulenc, and Tchaikovsky.

Goodman also serves as Artistic Director of IlluminArts, Miami’s art song and chamber music concert series. In this role, he curates site-specific classical music programs in collaboration with the leading museums, art galleries, and historic venues of Miami. 

From 2019 to 2023, he was the Conducting Fellow of the New World Symphony, additionally serving as the Assistant Conductor to Michael Tilson Thomas. In addition to leading the orchestra in more than fifty performances, Goodman created the educational program “SPARK: How Composers Find Inspiration,” which blended engaging audience participation with captivating light design and videography.

Goodman has served as an Assistant Conductor to the San Francisco Symphony, working alongside Michael Tilson Thomas, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Manfred Honeck, Daniel Harding, Elim Chan, Simone Young, and James Gaffigan, among others. He has recently made debuts with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Puebla (OSEP).

As Founder and Artistic Director of Elevate Ensemble, Goodman’s ambitious vision for concert programming resulted in the pairing of music from San Francisco Bay Area composers with underappreciated gems of the 20th and 21st centuries. Under his leadership, Elevate Ensemble established a Composer-in-Residence program and commissioned fifteen new works. 

Goodman also leads workshops that teach young musicians the business skills needed to successfully navigate the music world. Forbes praised the conductor’s bold strides both on and off stage and hailed him as “An entrepreneur bringing innovation to classical music.” Last year, he published the book You Earned a Music Degree. Now What?

Goodman holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from San Francisco State University. His mentors include Michael Tilson Thomas and Alasdair Neale.

Media

Books

 You Earned a Music Degree. Now What?
A Working Musician’s Field Guide

Learn how to successfully navigate the world as a working musician.

Have you found it difficult to establish your footing in the music world? Are you wondering how to authentically build your brand and set yourself apart?

You are not alone.

In this book, you will learn everything from how to hone your self-promotion skills to how to break into the music scene in your city. You will learn how to build a private teaching studio and even stage your own concerts.

Take control of your future and create your own path in the music world.

Press

“Over the past four seasons, Goodman has been called upon to fill in for Michael Tilson Thomas and other conductors as well as play a major role in the orchestra’s streamed season of chamber music and chamber orchestra performances during the Covid pandemic. He has consistently risen to the challenges, offering well rehearsed, musically insightful performances. Goodman is one of the most gifted of the New World series of aspiring conductors and clearly deserves a music director post of his own.”

“Goodman’s pitch perfect combination of abandon and subtlety effectively conveyed Kodaly’s mix of symphonic brilliance and indigenous authenticity.” 

- Lawrence Budman
South Florida Classical Review

Making his final appearance as NWS conducting fellow, Chad Goodman directed the evening’s most satisfying performance. His lithe, cogent account of the Overture to Mozart’s The Magic Flute was thrown off with spare vibrato, crisp attacks and bracing articulation. This stylish Mozart, executed with verve, was a fitting coda to Goodman’s four-year tenure during which he was called upon to take over performances from Michael Tilson Thomas and other previously scheduled conductors.

-Lawrence Budman
South Florida Classical Review

“Goodman drew robust and precise articulation from the string players and illuminated the score’s vivid imagery and sense of wonder.”

- Lawrence Budman
South Florida Classical Review

“Goodman led the orchestra with precision, agility and fervor, introducing a note of serenity into the heroic themes. The dynamic nuances were especially well-shaped and the strings shone in the majestic final section.”

- Nevena Stanić Kovačevic
South Florida Classical Review

“Asimismo auspicioso fue el debut del flamante becario en dirección orquestal Chad Goodman a cargo de la obertura Egmont de la música incidental de Beethoven sobre la pieza de Goethe. Curiosa aunque apropiadamente lenta en los compases iniciales, Goodman supo dibujar con la amable colaboración del oboe, un crescendo notable para llegar a la reciedumbre beethoveniana con el requerido rigor heroico de este poema tonal en miniatura.”

- Sebastian Spreng
Miami Clásica

"There was an overwhelming sense of danger in the way director Chad Goodman pushed the players to expressive extremes. Yet this wasn’t some messy free-for-all — Goodman charted a clear formal trajectory, taking his time with the ascending stacks of fourths and Tristan-like pillar chords that serve as structural markers throughout the piece."

"Elevate offered a performance brimming with ecstasy"

"the group [Elevate Ensemble] did manage to channel the energy of an all-out brawl into their exhilarating interpretation."

- Joe Cadagin
San Francisco Classical Voice
 

"Conductor Chad Goodman led the work [Mason Bates' Garages of the Valley] with energy and precision, producing an impressive result in the playing."

- David Bratman
San Mateo Daily Journal
 

"Under the direction of Chad Goodman, harpsichordist Derek Tam and the members of Elevate...ignited their intimate performance space while shattering stereotypes about how a harpsichord should sound."

- Jessica Balik
San Francisco Classical Voice
 

Coaching & Workshops

My individual coaching sessions and group workshops are tailored to best address the goals that you or your institution hold.

Sample topics:

• Your writing tool kit (writing a powerful cover letter, engaging artist bio and refined resume/CV)

• Self-promotion (Building your digital press kit, creating a striking website, developing a thriving social media presence)

• Connecting with audiences (attracting a younger audience demographic, refining your public speaking skills, making your programs more relatable)

• Becoming a key member of your local music community (generating new performance opportunities, networking with authenticity)

Examples of past workshops include:

You Earned a Music Degree. Now What?

In this workshop, we will discuss how students can best prepare for a successful transition from music academia into the real world. Topics addressed include: the art of self-promotion, generating new gigs (and getting called back time after time), building a thriving teaching studio, and more.

The Musical Startup: Building Your Dream Music Ensemble

In this workshop, I will guide participants through the process of launching their own professional music ensemble. Participants will explore topics such as: business registration, building a loyal audience, engaging programming, assembling an Advisory Board, the perks of fiscal sponsorship & 501c3 and more.

Staging the Perfect Performance

The modern musician must know how to create unique, outstanding performances. This comprehensive workshop will reveal the best methods for booking the perfect venue, efficiently scheduling rehearsals, and generating buzz through advertising so that you can share your music with a packed house.

If you are interested in booking a coaching session or workshop, or have any additional questions, simply send me an email through the CONTACT page of this website, and I will respond to you within 24 hours.