Rachael Worby

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Rachael Worby is an American conductor who rose to fame during her long tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia.

She is currently the Music Director and Conductor of the POPS in Pasadena, California and the Music Director and Conductor of the American Music Festival in Romania. One of the first woman conductors in the country, Worby also was the Music Director and Conductor of the Young Peoples Program at Carnegie Hall in New York.

The ex-wife of former West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton, Worby served as First Lady of West Virginia from 1990 to 1997.

While serving as First Lady, Worby frequently traveled around West Virginia to promote the arts and music to state residents. She created the Governor's School for the Arts, a project she remains involved with, and pushed the Legislature for increased funding for arts education. She also took the Wheeling Symphony on statewide tours and she hosted a meeting of the National Governors Association in Charleston. She hosted a television program on West Virginia public television focusing on arts and current affairs. Worby served for four years on the National Council on the Arts, as an appointee of President Bill Clinton. She and Caperton divorced in 1998.

Preceded by Dee Caperton

First Lady of West Virginia 1990 – 1997

Succeeded by Hovah Underwood