In 1984, Michael Nowak became the fifth conductor of the San Luis Obispo Symphony since incorporation in 1961. Since then, Nowak has succeeded in bringing San Luis Obispo Symphony performances to higher and higher levels of artistic quality. His many contributions since becoming Music Director include:

•  Making Music Education a priority and building the Symphony's many programs to their current level reaching over 16,000 children and adults every year.
•  Leading the Symphony on four successful tours - to Spain in 1996, to New York's Carnegie Hall in April of 2001, to the Sydney Opera House in 2006 and to Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2008.
•  Programming challenging symphonic music and encouraging the orchestra to continuing excellence.
Commissioning new works by exciting new composers.

Michael Nowak was born in Providence, Rhode Island and began his music studies in the Rhode Island public school system, where he learned violin, clarinet and tuba. His interest in composition and conducting led him to Indiana University, where he met and became a student of the legendary violist, William Primrose, who inspired Nowak to devote himself to the viola. It was through Primrose that Nowak first came to California on scholarship to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara.

Nowak has served as Assistant Conductor and Violist with the Dallas Symphony under Anshel Brusilow, conductor of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra and the Monterey Chamber Orchestra; and has appeared in guest conducting engagements with the Oregon Mozart Players, the Oregon Bach Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, the University of Southern California Chamber Orchestra and in the entertainment industry.  For a list of films conducted by Michael Nowak, please click here.

As a violist, Nowak was a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra with Sir Neville Marriner until 1980. In 1980, he began his association with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival and traveled to Europe for a series of concert tours and recordings with the Stuttgart Bach Collegium. During this time, Nowak was also a conductor with the Hindemith Festival

Since becoming Music Director of the San Luis Obispo Symphony, Nowak has continued his career as a violist with the Music for Mischa String Quartet, as principal violist of the Oregon Bach Festival and San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, and as a guest artist with the Angeles String Quartet, the Chilmark Chamber Music Festival, the Pacific Serenades, Musical Offering Ensemble and the South Bay Chamber Music Society. He is a featured soloist on the Oregon Bach Festival's Brandenburg Concerti recording with Helmuth Rilling and he is also active as a recording musician and conductor in the motion picture industry. He has conducted four recordings with the San Luis Obispo Symphony: Concierto Romantico, with Jose Mara Gallardo del Rey, Rhapsody for Horn and Orchestra, with Richard Todd, Music for a New Life with David Kim and The Music of Joseph Clokey.