In Sunday’s (4/18) Peoria Journal Star (Illinois), Gary Panetta writes, “Brett Mitchell, the next candidate in the Peoria Symphony Orchestra’s music director search, said that a young face at the podium can be a plus. ‘If you look at the list of candidates that the Peoria Symphony has brought this season, it’s very clear that they are interested in reaching out to the next generation of concertgoers,’ said Mitchell of Houston, who leads the orchestra in a performance of Beethoven, Prokofiev and the music of contemporary composer Michael Torke on Saturday. … Few rising conductors can impress the likes of conductor Kurt Masur, whom Mitchell can claim as a personal mentor and supporter. Connections to Masur led to three years of shuttling back and forth over the Atlantic while serving as assistant conductor for the French National Orchestra. And besides that world-class orchestra, Mitchell has led several other top-notch organizations: the London Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, where he now serves as assistant conductor. … Mitchell said that orchestras can broaden their audiences by being good representatives of their respective cities and regions. … For instance, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra might consider playing more music from local and regional composers as well as standards like Aaron Copland’s homage to Abraham Lincoln.”
Posted April 22, 2010
