“The Santa Rosa Symphony announced the names of its five music director finalists Thursday evening during a private event held at the Green Music Center’s Weill Hall, where the symphony serves as the orchestra in residence,” writes Diane Peterson in Thursday’s (11/3) Santa Rosa Press Democrat. They will be “introduced to the audience during the 2017-2018 Santa Rosa Symphony season as guest conductors and potential successors to outgoing Maestro Bruno Ferrandis.…The finalists will try out during the first five [three-concert] sets of the 2017-2018 season, and the selection will be announced by March 2018.…The new music director’s tenure will begin with the 2018-2019 season.” The conductors are Francesco Lecce-Chong, assistant conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra; Taiwan-born American conductor Mei-Ann Chen, music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta; Andrew Grams, music director of the Elgin (Ill.) Symphony Orchestra; English conductor Graeme Jenkins, who has served as music director of Dallas Opera and the U.K.’s Glyndebourne Touring Opera; and Michael Christie, currently music director of Minnesota Opera. Each “will spend about eight days in Santa Rosa, conducting all rehearsals and performances and meeting with community leaders, media, board members, staff and musicians.”
Posted November 7, 2016
Pictured (left to right): Graeme Jenkins, Andrew Grams, Mei-Ann Chen, Francesco Lecce-Chong, and Michael Christie, five candidates for music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony.
