“Kansas City Symphony music director Michael Stern is leaving but not until 2023,” writes Laura Spencer on Monday (9/9) at Kansas City radio station KCUR. “On Monday, the Symphony announced renewing Stern’s contract through the 2022-2023 season…. He’ll step down and take on a new role as music director laureate. ‘Because if you truly love an organization, a collection of musicians, your colleagues and friends in the community, and the orchestra where you’ve worked for 15 years, which I absolutely do, then you want absolutely to be part of the best possible next chapter,’ said Stern…. Stern’s tenure … boosted the orchestra’s national reputation. In September 2011, Stern conducted the first concerts in the Symphony’s new venue at Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. And he’s appointed 34 full-time musicians…. Financial growth has also been a feature of Stern’s tenure…. Executive director Danny Beckley … says Stern’s contract extension allows the organization to continue the momentum. ‘And I think that between the exciting projects that we’re doing … around performance, commissioning new works, broadcast, recording,’ said Beckley, ‘that there is so much that the orchestra is going to do with Michael.’ ”
Posted September 10, 2019
