Boise State trumpet student and music composition major, Payton Harrison, has been named the assistant conductor of the Press Start Orchestra, a New York-based ensemble specializing in video game music. During their May concert in Manhattan, Harrison conducted the suite of music from the video games Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire and Pokémon Emerald.
He has also enjoyed artistically rewarding professional development this summer. Harrison was accepted to the Houston Conducting Academy in Texas where he enjoyed expert mentorship for four days with experienced conductors Kayoko Dan and Nicholas Baker. He had the privilege of conducting works by Beethoven, Whitacre, Sibelius and Britten.
Harrison also attended the Greenwich Village Orchestra Conducting Workshop in New York led by Barbara Yahr and featuring Michael Stern. Harrison took away new strategies to lead several Beethoven symphonies with confidence.
Harrison has also been invited to serve as the orchestra conductor for the 2026 MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival) in National Harbor, Maryland from Jan. 8-11, 2026. Harrison is a student of Professor Zach Buie.