“A Midwesterner now living in Montreal is the new assistant conductor and community liaison of the Portland Symphony Orchestra,” writes Bob Keyes in Tuesday’s (8/2) Portland Press Herald (Maine). “Andrew Crust, who completed his doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Colorado Boulder this year, won a three-way audition last week. He begins his job in Portland in September.… Crust’s recent positions include assistant conductor of the Boulder Philharmonic and assistant conductor of Opera McGill in Montreal. He has performed across the United States and Canada.…The position is important to the orchestra as it attempts to broaden and strengthen its ties across the community, [PSO Executive Director Carolyn] Nishon said. Crust will spend considerable time on the podium, conducting pops, family and education concerts, as well as preparing scores for all classical repertory and stepping in as needed. He will be responsible for all off-stage ensembles, and will be a key member of the orchestra’s outreach team. Crust, who plays the trumpet, will lead the orchestra’s education efforts in schools and community centers, and will help program the PSO’s newly created Symphony & Spirits social gatherings, which target younger audiences.”
Posted August 3, 2016
