By Camas Frank
Almost three months ago, the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s Board of Directors announced that the normal season, including its most popular feature, the POPS by the Sea Concert had been canceled.
In early August they reversed that decision, having lined up what they promise will be, “a concert season of brilliance and beauty.”
The SLO Symphony’s Opening Night Concert is set for Oct. 3, and with the firing of long time music director, Michael Nowak, the board has found several regional guest conductors to fill out the 2015 season.
They’re starting with Maestro Nir Kabaretti, joined by cellist, Zuill Bailey.
Kabaretti is the music and artistic director of the Santa Barbara Symphony.
The Israeli-born Kabaretti has established an international career, eventually ending up at the top of a large candidate pool to head the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006. He continues to collaborate with Symphony’s such as SLO, as well as appearing at opera houses around the world.
He has now doubled his duty, joining the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra as its director. His previous orchestral experience includes the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra.
The SLO concert will open with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy and conclude with Shostakovich’s majestic Symphony No. 5.
In November the Symphony has rustled up a Chicago native, Maestro James Sedares and guest violinist Jennifer Frautschi, to perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” will round out the second half of the program.
Sedares has enjoyed equal international acclaim as a guest conductor in the U.S. and Europe. More recently, he has appeared in Central and South America, and New Zealand. He holds two Grammy-nominated recordings: one with the London Symphony Orchestra and the other with the Louisville Orchestra.
The New Year’s Eve POPS is also back; scheduled for Dec. 31 at the Performing Arts Center. Also counting down the minutes to 2016 will be guest artist Café Musique. The symphony will be led by Maestro Lawrence Loh.
Loh is the resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and now, the Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. His recent guest conducting engagements include the National Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and return engagements with the Dallas Symphony.
In February 2016, for its traditional “Classics Concert,” the Symphony has booked Maestra Laura Jackson along with violinist Caroline Goulding, to perform Zhou Tian’s Violin Concerto: “The Infinite Dance.”
Jackson is now in her seventh season as musical director of the Reno Philharmonic. Among her milestones in the role include commissioning that orchestra’s first-ever recorded arrangement to celebrate the Nevada sesquicentennial celebration.
In March 2016, Maestro Bruce Anthony Kiesling will lead the orchestra in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Kiesling joins ousted director Nowak as a feature film conductor, albeit with more “B-Movies” on his resume.
Credits include the films “Wesley,” “Seven Days of Yellow,” “Foresight,” “A Noise of Many Waters” and the horror flick, “Caesar and Otto’s Summer Camp Massacre.”
He has also conducted at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The SLO Symphony’s Season Finale will be in May 2016, Thomas Davies, Cal Poly’s Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies, will take on, what the SLO Symphony’s communication director calls the, “demanding and tremendously rewarding task of conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, C Minor, ‘Resurrection.’”
For the performance Davies will also conduct the 100-member Cuesta Master Chorale and the Cal Poly Choir. See the Symphony’s website at: www.slosymphony.org for concert and ticket information.
