The Memphis Symphony Orchestra announced three candidates for the music director position being vacated by David Loebel at the end of the 2009-10 season. Mei-Ann Chen, Thomas Wilkins, and Alastair Willis—chosen from a pool of more than 85 candidates—each will lead the orchestra in two concerts during the 2009-10 season. Chen is assistant conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Wilkins is music director of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra; and Willis is former associate conductor of the Seattle Symphony. The MSO’s fifteen-person search committee, which includes musicians and community members, will remain flexible about the conductor search process, and may announce other candidates after the initial announcement, or if circumstances change for any potential candidate.
Posted March 10, 2009
Image of David Loebel, Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s current music director, courtesy of MSO
