Michigan Philharmonic: Jill Jack Sings the Great American Songbook Performers

Jill Jack’s career has spanned decades and taken her around the globe, performing solo and with her band at sold-out shows, and opening for world-renowned acts. Jack grew up in Huntington Woods and has lived in Ferndale for the last 30 years. Her work includes self-written songs in a style she broadly calls Americana, encompassing elements of folk, rock, country, pop and blues. She plays acoustic and electric guitar, and describes her stage presence as friendly, with a focus on storytelling and a dash of humor.

Nan Washburn is one of the most innovative and dynamic conductors working in the United States today. A two-time winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Conducting (2013 and 2025), recipient of the 2016 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, and honoree of 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, she is widely recognized for her imaginative programming and compelling performances. Critics have praised her work for its “perspicacity, nerve, imagination and all-round savvy.” Washburn is currently celebrating her 28th season as Music Director and Conductor of the Michigan Philharmonic, where her leadership has brought national recognition, artistic growth, and expanded community engagement throughout Southeast Michigan. Over the course of her distinguished career, Washburn has served as music director, conductor, and artistic leader for numerous orchestras across the country, including the Women’s Philharmonic, which she co-founded and helped establish as a pioneering force for music by women composers. She has conducted orchestras nationwide and collaborated with many of America’s leading contemporary composers and acclaimed soloists. A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and the New England Conservatory of Music, Washburn has also earned recognition for her advocacy of new music, arts education, and women in the arts, making her one of the most respected and influential conductors in American orchestral music.