Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra
Josh Hernday has a diverse work experience in various roles within the music and arts industry. Starting in 2012, they worked as an Assistant Conductor of Orchestras and Manager of Orchestras at Illinois State University. Josh then moved on to serve as a Librarian and Assistant Personnel Manager at the Peoria Symphony Orchestra from 2014 to 2015. In 2015, they joined the Lutheran Music Program as an Events Manager, overseeing performance logistics and supporting the musicians of the LSM community. Additionally, they worked as an Insurance Agent at Bankers Life and as a Music Enthusiast at Heid Music. Josh then served as the Director of Instrumental Ensembles at Silver Lake College from 2018 to 2019. In 2019, they became the Executive Director of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, a role they held until 2022. Josh then joined Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin as a Grants Manager in 2022. Currently, they are a Horn Professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Throughout their career, Josh Hernday has demonstrated a strong passion for music and the arts, taking on leadership roles and contributing to the success of various organizations.
Josh Hernday earned a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh from 2005-2012. Josh then pursued a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting and Horn Performance from Illinois State University from 2012-2014.
Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra
Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1941, is comprised of community leaders, professional musicians, and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students, all who strive to deliver high quality musical experiences while also serving the community. Side-by-side, adult community musicians perform with area professionals, deepening that which connects us. Dr. Dylan T. Chmura-Moore was appointed Music Director in 2023 and is leading the OSO forward in its new civic model, one based on that which made the orchestra such a success decades ago. About the new model, Dylan says: “Community makes us strong. It makes for better music. OSO will, once again, lean into this ideal and I couldn’t be more excited. People make music, and it rings more true when your neighbor, whom you trust and love, is the one who is making it for you or with you. That is the beauty of what OSO will be. The return to this model should help our community listen to each other better and show each other more support and empathy. And the music’s going to be phenomenal!”