J SYM 2013-14 - Guest Conductor summary - 8 of 10 Masterworks programs

Guest Conductors with the Jacksonville Symphony – 2013-2014 Masterworks For release on Sunday, February 10, 2013 TEDDY ABRAMS October 3-5, 2013 GERSHWIN An American in Paris RAVEL Piano Concerto in G (Teddy Abrams, piano) TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 Positions (Current and Recent) Resident Conductor - MAV Symphony Orchestra (Budapest); Appointed Assistant Conductor, Detroit Symphony (2012); Former New World Symphony Conductor Fellow A widely acclaimed young conductor, Teddy Abrams also performs as a clarinetist and pianist, and is an established composer. The 2011-2012 season marked his first year as Resident Conductor of the MAV Symphony Orchestra in Budapest. In March 2012, he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where he now conducts classical programs for the orchestra’s new neighborhood series, helps program its chamber music and contemporary music concerts and leads education and pops performances.

He recently made debuts with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, the Boca Raton Symphonia, the Marin Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, the MAV Symphony, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra (Columbus) and the Hilton Head Symphony. From 2008 to 2011 Abrams was the Conducting Fellow and Assistant Conductor of the New World Symphony (NWS) and conducted many performances, including subscription concerts and numerous other full and chamber orchestra events.

WARD STARE October 25 & 26, 2013 HAYDN Symphony No. 96 “Miracle” BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Susanna Phillips, soprano) BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 Positions (Current and Recent) Former Resident Conductor - St. Louis Symphony Conductor and Music Director of Macon Symphony Orchestra and Mercer University A native of Rochester, N.Y, Ward Stare is one of the most dynamic and engaging conductors of his generation. Described as “a compelling figure on the podium” and “one of the hottest young conductors in America” by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mr. Stare recently completed his tenure as Resident Conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. In 2009, he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the orchestra, stepping in at the last minute for Music Director David Robertson, who performed the role of chansonnier in H. K. Gruber’s Frankenstein!!. In March 2012, he became the Conductor and Music Director of the Macon Symphony Orchestra and Mercer University.

Recent and upcoming engagements include the Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Québec Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Saint Louis Symphony, where Mr. Stare’s continues to strengthen his relationship with the orchestra as a regular guest conductor on the orchestra’s 2012-13 Family, Special Event and Subscription series.

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Guest Conductors with the Jacksonville Symphony – 2013-2014 Masterworks ROBERT MOODY November 21-23, 2013 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Dona Nobis Pacem (Christina Major, soprano; Troy Cook, baritone; Jacksonville Symphony Chorus) Music Director - Winston-Salem Symphony; Music Director - Portland (Maine) Symphony; Artistic Director - Arizona Musicfest Positions (Current and Recent) Robert Moody has been Music Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony (North Carolina) since 2005, Artistic Director of Arizona Musicfest since 2007, and Music Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine) since 2008.

In recent seasons, Robert Moody’s guest conducting appearances have included the symphony orchestras of Houston, Indianapolis, Detroit, Seattle, Pacific, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Buffalo, Louisville, and many more. Summer festival appearances include Santa Fe Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Brevard Music Center, Eastern Music Festival, PortOpera, and the Oregon Bach Festival.

Equally at home in the opera pit, Moody began his career as répétiteur (accompanying rehearsals on piano and coaching the singers), and later became a house conductor, for the Landestheater Opera in Linz, Austria. He has gone on to conduct at the opera companies of Santa Fe, North Carolina, Rochester, Hilton Head, and the Brevard Music Center. He also served as Chorus Master for a production of Verdi’s Otello at the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

CRISTIAN MACELARU January 9-11, 2014 BARBER Symphony No. 1 BRITTEN Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 Positions (Current and Recent) Associate conductor - Philadelphia Orchestra; Former Resident conductor - Rice University; Founder/Artistic Director - Crisalis Music Project Cristian Macelaru has established an exciting and highly regarded presence through his thoughtful interpretations, poise and energetic conviction on the podium. In November 2012, the Philadelphia Orchestra elevated his title to Associate Conductor in recognition of his artistic contribution to the orchestra. As associate conductor, he will conduct a subscription week in the 2013-14 season and will continue to assist Nézet-Séguin and conduct special non-subscription performances.

Recently, Mr. Macelaru received the 2012 Sir George Solti Emerging Conductor Award, a prestigious honor only awarded once before in the foundation’s history.

In February 2012, Mr. Macelaru made his Chicago Symphony subscription debut as a replacement for Pierre Boulez. Mr. Macelaru’s 2012-13 season brings debuts with Atlanta Symphony, Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, Windsor Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Alabama Symphony and the Naples Philharmonic, as well as a return to the Baltimore Symphony.

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Guest Conductors with the Jacksonville Symphony – 2013-2014 Masterworks ANDRÉ RAPHEL February 13-15, 2014 PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet (Selections) MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto (Pilippe Quint, violin) TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 2 “Little Russian” Positions (Current and Recent) Former Asst. conductor – New York Philharmonic, Former Asst. – St. Louis Symphony, Former Asst. Philadelphia Orchestra, Current Music Director – Wheeling Symphony André Raphel has established a reputation as an exciting and versatile conductor. Described by the New York Times as “An agile, demonstrative conductor who is physically drawn into the music,” André Raphel is in his tenth season as Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony.

Mr. Raphel enjoys an active career as guest conductor. He has appeared with most of the major American orchestras including Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. He has appeared with the Detroit Symphony and recorded with Bamberger Symphoniker. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

André Raphel served as Assistant Conductor to Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic for two years. He was Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra for six years. Prior to his appointment in Philadelphia, Mr. Raphel served for three years as Assistant Conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony.

COURTNEY LEWIS March 13-15, 2014 WAGNER Tristan und Isolde, Prelude and Liebestod RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3 (Joyce Yang, piano) DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 Positions (Current and Recent) Music Director - Discovery Ensemble (Boston); Associate conductor Minnesota Orchestra Hailed by the Boston Phoenix as “…both an inspired conductor…and an inspired programmer,” Courtney Lewis is quickly becoming recognized as one of today’s top emerging talents. He is founder and music director of Boston’s acclaimed Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra with the mission of introducing inner-city school children to classical music while bringing new and unusual repertoire to established concert audiences. Lewis is also Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, where he regularly conducts Young People’s concerts, outdoor concerts, and other performances, making a successful subscription debut in the 2011-12 season.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lewis attended the University of Cambridge, during which time he studied composition with Robin Holloway and clarinet with Dame Thea King, graduating with starred first class honors. After completing a master’s degree with a focus on the late music of György Ligeti, he attended the Royal Northern College of Music.

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Guest Conductors with the Jacksonville Symphony – 2013-2014 Masterworks ANDREW GRAMS April 3-5, 2014 BRAHMS Hungarian Dance No. 1 LISZT Les Preludes ADAMS The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 LISZT Piano Concerto No. 1 (William Wolfram, piano) Positions (Current and Recent) Former Asst. Conductor- Cleveland Orchestra; Former Asst. Conductor, Reading Symphony. Numerous Guest Conductor engagements As one of America’s most promising and talented young conductors, Andrew Grams has already appeared with many of the great orchestras of the world including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C., and the orchestras of Baltimore, Dallas, Houston and New Jersey. Internationally, he has conducted the Montreal Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle Bonn, BBC Symphony Orchestra London, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, and Malmo Symphony, among others.

Last season (2011-12) season saw major subscription debuts for Mr. Grams with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic (Amsterdam), the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

SHIZUO Z KUWAHARA April 25 & 26, 2014 SHOSTAKOVICH Tahiti Trot PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 3 (Stewart Goodyear, piano) KHACHATURIAN Masquerade Suite STRAVINSKY The Firebird Suite (1919 Version) Positions (Current and Recent) Music Director - Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Former Associate Philadelphia Orchestra, Virginia Symphony. Guest conductor - Japan Philharmonic Winner of first prize in the prestigious Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Germany, Shizuo Z Kuwahara is the music director of Symphony Orchestra Augusta (SOA). Mr. Kuwahara was a League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with The Philadelphia Orchestra, where he served as apprentice to Music Director Christoph Eschenbach, covering and leading numerous concerts. Mr. Kuwahara has also served as an associate conductor of the Virginia Symphony.

This season (2012-13), Mr. Kuwahara makes his South American debut with Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta of Argentina, and his subscription concert debut with the Nice Philharmonic in France.

Guest conducting appearances include Frankfurt Museum Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

In 2011, two weeks after the earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan, SOA teamed up with the Red Cross of Augusta and organized a benefit concert called “Resounding,” mobilizing SOA musicians, staff, and community members.

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