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San Juan Symphony opens 30th season, puts first music director candidate to the test

San Juan Symphony opens 30th season auditioning first of three guest conductors to fill music director slot

It’s been more than a year of transition for the San Juan Symphony but starting Saturday, the sorting begins.

The symphony opens its 30th anniversary season on a quest to choose a new music director after Arthur Post, the music director for the past 13 years, vacated the position following last season.

Forming a search committee in summer 2014, the invitation-only process produced about 30 applicants. From there, the San Juan Symphony narrowed it to three finalists, each who will be directing the music and conducting for one concert apiece this season.

Kathy Myrick, the symphony’s executive director, said she expects to see a lot of fresh, new ideas from the finalists.

“I’ve told people throughout the last year that (the finalists are) all younger than my children and they already have international reputations,” Myrick said. “(They’re) very tech-savvy, bright, young ... They’re the ones that rose to the top.”

The finalists are Blake Richardson, currently director of orchestral studies at the University of Alabama; Thomas Heuser, the music director of the Idaho Falls Symphony and principal guest conductor of the San Francisco Academy Orchestra since 2013; and Geoffrey Robson, associate conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Youth Ensembles.

Richardson will lead the symphony for this weekend’s season-opening concerts, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College and 3 p.m. Sunday at Montezuma-Cortez High School in Cortez.

On the program is Dvorak’s “Carnvial Overture,” Brahm’s Second Symphony and Sir Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, performed by guest cellist Inbal Segev. Segev, who is currently recording all of Bach’s cello suites at the Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City for release later this fall, returns for her third performance with the San Juan Symphony.

To settle on its three finalists, the symphony solicited musicians, previous soloists, friends of the symphony and the outgoing Mann.

Myrick is excited about the results, the energy and ideas to come. Describing each finalist as tech-savvy, she said audiences can expect to see some audio/visual demonstrations the symphony hasn’t seen in the past. Talks have also included bringing a tailgating event to April’s Beethoven Festival. Think beer, brats and Beethoven.

It’s all a part of efforts to reach new and younger audiences. Myrick said they’d like to strike a balance that appeals to the Beethoven and Brahms devotees, while introducing modern music people may not have heard before.

“An orchestra can play any kind of music, it’s just a matter of making it real for the audience,” she said. “I suspect younger conductors will be eager to do that as well.”

Myrick said this season provides the community a chance to play a role in shaping the future of the symphony. Audiences (as well as musicians) will receive feedback forms after each concert (Sample questions: “The conductor made the music come alive for me” and I appreciated and understood the conductor’s verbal comments to the audience.”).

“I think (the finalists will) all have a different impact on the audience, depending upon how conversational they are and how well they speak to the audience members in explaining the music,” Myrick said, adding that the symphony hopes to name its new music director shortly after the February concert. “It certainly won’t be like any seasons we’ve had in recent years.”

dholub@durangoherald.com. David Holub is the Arts & Entertainment editor for The Durango Herald

If you go

The San Juan Symphony opens its 2015-16 season with “Brahms’ Second Symphony” featuring guest conductor and music director finalist Blake Richardson and cello soloist Inbal Segev, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, and 3 p.m. Sunday at Montezuma-Cortez High School, Cortez. In addition to Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, the program will include Dvorak’s Carnival Overture and Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor.

For Durango tickets, call 970-247-7657 or go to durangoconcerts.com, or visit the Community Concert Hall ticket office in the Welcome Center at 8th Street and Main Avenue in Durango. For Cortez tickets, call 970-565-9127 or 970-565-4757.

The San Juan Symhony is offering first-time buyers 50 percent off season tickets. For more information, go to sanjuansymphony.org.



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