Don Scott Carpenter is a nationally respected conductor, organist, composer, and arts executive whose career reflects a lifelong commitment to excellence in performance, liturgical integrity, and arts education. He is the Founding Music Director and Conductor of the Lakeside Symphony & Chorus, an independent ensemble dedicated to presenting exceptional orchestral and choral works while fostering community through inclusive outreach and education. Under his leadership, the ensemble has become a cultural force on San Francisco’s west side, with major performances including works by Mozart, Schubert, Fauré, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn.

To support the Symphony’s educational mission, Carpenter also founded the Lakeside Arts Academy, which offers private lessons, group classes, and ensemble opportunities for students of all ages. The Academy provides high-quality instruction led by professional musicians and emphasizes lifelong engagement with the arts.

Carpenter is also the Founder and General Director of Vox Humana SF, a professional vocal ensemble acclaimed for its ambitious, thematically unified programs. The group quickly emerged as a leading artistic voice in the Bay Area, with highlights including a critically praised performance of Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil at Grace Cathedral.

From 2013 to 2025, Carpenter served as Organist and Director of Music, Worship, and Arts at Lakeside Presbyterian Church, where he revitalized the music ministry through the reintroduction of chant, historic liturgy, professional vocal ensembles, and annual offerings such as Lessons and Carols, Evensong, and major concert works.

As Music Director of San Francisco Renaissance Voices, he led the ensemble through its post-pandemic return, launching new public programs such as a Renaissance Faire at Crissy Field and the A Choral Renaissance concert. His tenure was marked by renewed visibility and artistic momentum despite the challenges of COVID-19.

Carpenter served for over a decade as Executive Director of American Bach Soloists, where he co-created the renowned ABS Festival & Academy, now one of North America’s premier programs for early music training. During his tenure, the organization saw a 50% growth in budget and produced major media projects including Bach’s Mass in B Minor Project and Handel’s Messiah at Grace Cathedral.

Earlier in his career, he was Cathedral Organist and Artist-in-Residence at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, he played for Pontifical Masses, feast days, and high liturgical seasons, including Triduum and Chrism Masses. In 2015, he was honored with a return invitation to serve as organist for the installation of the Archbishop of Santa Fe.

As General Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, he guided the organization through a major transition, including a national search for a new music director. He led collaborations with the Santa Fe Symphony, Opera, and New Music, and produced acclaimed recordings such as Glorious Voices, Sacred Spaces and Shalom.

From 2002 to 2007, Carpenter was Artistic and Executive Director of the Louisville Youth Choir, where he introduced signature initiatives such as the annual Holiday Carols concert, a Boys Choir program, and a spring Pops series. The ensemble toured internationally and performed in prestigious venues including the Salzburg Dom and Vienna’s Votivkirche. He collaborated with Kentucky Opera for three world premieres and conducted premieres of works by Patsy Ford Simms and Daniel Gilliam.

At Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville, where he served as Organist and Director of Worship, he founded a concert series, rebuilt the church’s Casavant organ, and led efforts to purchase a Steinway Model D piano. His worship programming included original services for Holy Week, Advent, and the annual Handbell Festival.

Carpenter also served as Organist and Music Director at The Temple – Adath Israel Brith Sholom in Louisville, where he conducted the professional choir for weekly services, High Holy Days, and major life-cycle events. He helped lead the integration of diverse musical genres into the life of the congregation and directed both adult and teen choirs.

A deeply collaborative artist and administrator, Don Scott Carpenter continues to be known for his ability to unite tradition and innovation—crafting experiences that inspire, educate, and elevate communities through the shared power of music.