“After a year long search, the Saginaw Bay Symphony (SBSO) has finally announced its new music director,” states an unsigned story posted Tuesday (6/14) on radio station WSGW (Saginaw, Mich.). Fouad Fakhouri, “a New York City resident and native of Lebanon,” was selected from among 197 applicants. Fakhouri “began studying music early, coming from a family of musicians. He moved to the U.S. at age 17 and went to West Texas A & M University and Penn State University, finally receiving a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Fakhouri says the SBSO’s reputation is what drew him to the auditions.… ‘I had heard about the level of the orchestra and high standards of the orchestra and the musicians. So that’s initially what intrigued me. And then when I came and visited, I really, really fell in love with the community, with the staff.’ ” Fakhouri “has conducted orchestras all over the world, most recently serving as Music Director and Conductor of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra in North Carolina. He replaces Brett Mitchell, who left the SBSO in 2015.” The other finalists for the position were Alexander Platt, Mariusz Smolij, Stilian Kirov, Andres Franco, and Laura Jackson.
Posted June 16, 2016
