Kentucky’s Lexington Philharmonic “is beginning the intensive, year-long process” of a search to replace Music Director Scott Terrell, who stepped down in June, writes Tanzi Merritt in the October issue of Chevy Chaser/Southsider (Lexington, KY). “The search is an opportunity to … ‘make our audience look more like Lexington,’ … [Marketing Manager Mollie] Harris said. One of the immediate ways the Philharmonic is creating an experience they hope reflects the community is by beginning every show this season with a work by a female composer…. The Philharmonic is working to create a more welcoming environment…. The staff has created Spotify playlists [and] have started writing program notes that emphasize the story of the music rather than its technical details…. [Says] current board president Colmon Elridge III, ‘As the first person of color to lead the Lexington Philharmonic [board], … I wish for my children and all children in our region and their families to feel that LexPhil is for them.’ … The organization has built a reputation for … innovative and contemporary music…. ‘New artistic leadership will help us build on these strengths while also making the experience of live orchestral music more accessible and inclusive,’ ” said Executive Director Allison Kaiser.
Posted October 11, 2019
In photo: Music director candidates at the Lexington Philharmonic. Top row, left to right: Kelly Corcoran, Julia Tai, Keitaro Harada. Bottom row, left to right: Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Thomas Heuser, Akiko Fujimoto.
