Jared Oaks is one of the leading young ballet conductors in the United States. He joined Ballet West in 2008, and was appointed Music Director in 2018. Jared maintains a rigorous conducting schedule, in addition to regularly playing for rehearsals and classes. 

 

He has conducted performances for Houston Ballet and The Sarasota Ballet. He has also worked with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, and the KennedyCenter Opera House Orchestra.

 

Jared is a fierce advocate of new and underrepresented composers. As an active researcher and music historian, he has produced multiple debut performances and recordings. Notably, he produced and conducted the world premier of a new oratorio by American composer Deon Nielsen Price in 2023. He is co-director and co-founder of the Composer Discovery Initiative, which has advocated for overlooked music since its inception in 2014.

 

Jared is active as a composer and arranger. He especially enjoys writing for dancers and has written three ballets. His dynamic chamber oratorio Fils de Dieu (for women's chorus, soloists, dancers, and chamber ensemble) was premiered at Utah Valley University in 2022.