Jason Tramm

Jason Chris Tramm (born December 29, 1974) is an American music conductor and professor and Director of Choral Activities at Seton Hall University.

Tramm was born on December 29, 1974, to Joan Anne Tramm (née Weininger) and John Carl Tramm in Rockland County, New York.

His passion for music manifested at a young age when he sang as a soprano soloist at Saint Thomas Church in West Nyack, N.Y. Tramm's encompass various instruments, including piano, viola, and string instruments.

He pursued his formal music education at the Crane School and the Hartt School, earning degrees in music.

Tramm furthered his studies in conducting, obtaining a doctoral degree from Rutgers University, where he was honored with the Presidential Fellowship.

Tramm's career extends to opera, symphonies, and choral masterworks, with performances taking place in Albania, Italy, Romania, and across the United States.

In 2003, he received the Rising Star Award from the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association, joining artists like Renee Fleming and Stephanie Blythe.

He has conducted operatic and symphonic performances across Europe, including Italy, Romania, Albania, and Hungary, where he recorded an album of rare French operatic arias with the Szeged Symphony.

Tramm's performances have received critical acclaim from Symphony Magazine, which named him "Conductor to Watch," and the Huffington Post, which described him as filled with Italianate passion.

Tramm is known for his work at New Jersey State Opera, in 2006, mentored by Silipigni.

Previously, he served as the artistic director of the New Jersey State Opera from 2008 to 2012, collaborating with opera voices such as Samuel Ramey, Vladimir Galouzine, and Angela Brown.

He also currently the executive director of the Light Opera of New Jersey, the music director of the Putnam Chorale, and music director of the Taghkanic Chorale.

During the summer months since 2008, Tramm has held the position of Director of Music in Residence at the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, he oversees choral, orchestral, and oratorio performances at the historic Great Auditorium (Ocean Grove, NJ), including the renowned Ocean Grove Choir Festival.

Tramm has directed Coro Lirico, the 60-voice amateur chorus based in Morris County, for four years.

He curated a program at Seton Hall University to pay homage to his mentor, the late Alfredo Silipigni, a renowned conductor who had previously graced the Seton Hall stage.

The event featured a new generation of opera talents participating in the Grand Finals Concert of the Alfredo Silipigni International Vocal Competition at the Jubilee Auditorium.

Additionally, Tramm led the University Chamber Choir in a performance at the annual Evening of Roses fundraiser for the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in Jewish-Christian Studies.

He assumed leadership of the company in 2008.

During his time he orchestrate the staging of Porgy and Bess at Newark Symphony Hall.

Recognizing the need to broaden the opera's audience base, Tramm strategically chose "Porgy and Bess" for its universal themes and crossover appeal.

Tramm has appeared on two National Public Radio broadcasts with organist Gordon Turk and a large orchestra.

His work with the opera garnered regional Emmy Award recognition for the 2009 HDTV broadcast of "Verdi Requiem: Live from Ocean Grove" on PBS affiliate NJN.

In addition to his conducting roles, Tramm is an accomplished educator and mentor, serving as Director of Choral and Orchestral Activities at Seton Hall University since 2011.

He currently holds the position of artistic director and Principal Conductor at MidAtlantic Opera, where he debuted at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium In 2015, with a program titled A Prayer for Peace.

His performance, featured compositions by Bernstein, Vaughan Williams, and Saygun, received an standing ovation, prompting plans for two annual performances at Carnegie Hall.

He was named the 2017 University Faculty Teacher of the Year

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption of live events, Tramm, along with his son Quinton Tramm, initiated the YouTube podcast Music Matters with Jason Tramm.

In September, 2023 Tramm and pianist Kariné Poghosyan conducted the 45 members of the MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra, who performed the l music of composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and Aram Khachaturian in honor of their births.