Thomas Wilkins is Music Director of the Omaha Symphony a position he has held since 2005. Additionally, he is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Boston Symphony’s Artistic Advisor, Education and Community Engagement, and holds Indiana University’s Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting established by the late Barbara and David Jacobs. Past positions include resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony and Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony.

Devoted to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Wilkins is hailed as a master at communicating and connecting with audiences of all ages. Following his highly successful first season with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Globe named him among the “Best People and Ideas of 2011.”  In 2014 Wilkins received the prestigious “Outstanding Artist” distinction at the Nebraska Governor’s Arts Awards for his significant contribution to music in the state; in 2018 he received the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award from Boston’s Longy School of Music.

During his conducting career, he has led orchestras throughout the United States, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and many others. Additionally, he has guest conducted the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras, Symphonies of Atlanta, Dallas, Baltimore, and many more.

His commitment to community has led him to serve on the board of directors for the Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha), the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Academy Preparatory Center, both in St. Petersburg, FL.