John Neal Axelrod (born March 28, 1966, in Houston, Texas) is an American conductor. Axelrod was elected Artistic and musical director of the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville in 2014 and is Principal Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, "Giuseppe Verdi", also known as "LaVerdi". Between 2009 and 2013, Axelrod was music director of l'Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, based in Nantes and Angers, France; and from 2009 to 2011, Axelrod served as music director of "Hollywood In Vienna" Gala Concerts with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna. He has also served as music director and Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2009, and from 2001 to 2009 as Principal Guest Conductor of Sinfonietta Cracovia. Early life Axelrod was born in Houston, Texas, on March 28, 1966. From the age of 5, Axelrod studied piano with Jacquelyn Harbachick and Roberto Eyzaguirre. At the age of 16 he was accepted as a student by Leonard Bernstein, during the premiere of his final opera, A Quiet Place, for Houston Grand Opera. Axelrod graduated cum laude in 1984 from St. John's School and went on to Harvard University, where he completed a bachelor's degree in music in 1988. After a summer jazz course in 1985 he continued his jazz piano and improvisation studies with Craig Najjar at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Axelrod moved to Los Angeles following his studies, working as an A&R Executive for Atlantic and RCA/BMG Records until 1991. He worked briefly as an artist manager for Iron John Management, started his own production company, "Ivy League Records", and eventually became Director of the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa, California, in 1994. After deciding to return to music in 1995, he studied conducting at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia with Ilya Musin. In 1996 Axelrod founded Houston's former Orchestra X, where he served as artistic director and Conductor. He also studied with then Houston Symphony Music Director Christoph Eschenbach and became his assistant in 1999 at the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival and for Parsifal, at Bayreuth in 2000. Conductor In 2004, Axelrod was named Chief Conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and music director of the Luzern Theater in Switzerland. During his 5-year tenure he appeared at the Lucerne Festival each summer, performing in both concert and opera. In April, 2009 Axelrod was elected as music director