Following fifteen extraordinary seasons as Music Director (2011–2026), Dr. Thomas Heuser was named Conductor Laureate by the Idaho Falls Symphony Board of Directors in recognition of his exceptional artistic leadership and enduring contributions to the Symphony.

During his tenure, Dr. Heuser led the Symphony through a remarkable period of artistic growth, elevating its musical standards and helping establish the Idaho Falls Symphony as a regional professional orchestra recognized for artistic excellence. His passion for exceptional performances, commitment to artistic excellence, and dedication to the musicians shaped the artistic identity of the Symphony and created a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire future generations.

Over fifteen seasons, audiences experienced unforgettable performances under his baton, including Beethoven's Ninth, The Planets, Great Ladies of Jazz, Rose of Sonora, Notes from the Silver Screen, concerts featuring Idaho Falls Symphony Young Artist Competition winners, and countless other memorable performances that celebrated the power of live orchestral music.

The honorary title of Conductor Laureate recognizes Dr. Heuser's lasting artistic legacy and reflects the Symphony's deep gratitude for his years of dedicated service. As Conductor Laureate, he remains a valued ambassador for the Idaho Falls Symphony and may return for special guest conducting engagements, celebrations, and artistic collaborations.

Dr. Heuser continues to serve as Music Director of the San Juan Symphony in Durango, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico. He lives in Durango with his wife, violinist Lauren Avery, and their son, Theodore.

For more information please visit www.thomasheuser.com.

At the heart of Carrie Athay’s work is a belief that the arts help us understand one another—and that the places where we gather to experience music, stories, and culture are essential to a thriving community.

For Carrie, that belief began long before she entered arts leadership. Growing up in a family that moved frequently, she learned early that a sense of home is not always tied to a particular place. Music, art, history, and cultural traditions became ways of finding connection across unfamiliar landscapes. They offered a window into how people understand themselves and one another, and planted an enduring conviction that the arts are not simply something a community enjoys; they are part of how a community knows itself.

That curiosity led Carrie to study Humanities and Anthropology at Brigham Young University and later to earn a master’s degree in Museum Studies, with an emphasis in American Studies, from George Washington University. Her early career as a curator and trained textile and wood conservator taught her the art of stewardship: the careful work of preserving not only objects, but the stories, identities, craftsmanship, and human experiences they carry.

Today, Carrie brings that same sense of stewardship to her role as Executive Director of the Idaho Falls Symphony. She sees the Symphony as both an artistic institution and a gathering place—one where extraordinary music can spark curiosity, create belonging, and connect people who might otherwise have little reason to share the same room.

That idea of connection is central to how Carrie thinks about music itself. She believes that the story of American music is not a collection of separate traditions, but a conversation among communities—one in which every voice enriches the whole. A symphony orchestra can be a remarkable place for that conversation: honoring the music and traditions that came before us while making room for new voices, new ideas, and new ways of experiencing the art form together.

Her leadership is grounded in the belief that artistic excellence and institutional strength belong together. She works to build a Symphony that is ambitious in its artistry, thoughtful in its growth, deeply connected to the community it serves, and distinctly reflective of this place we call home.

Because when cultural institutions are visionary, disciplined, and rooted in community, they do more than present performances. They preserve memory, invite discovery, inspire creativity, and create spaces where people can see themselves—and one another—a little differently. Through the Idaho Falls Symphony, Carrie hopes to help build just such a place: an institution that belongs to its community and helps strengthen the cultural fabric of Eastern Idaho for generations to come.