The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) Board of Directors has assembled an official committee to search for the NHSO’s next music director, who will begin their tenure with the orchestra’s 2019 – 2020 season.
After a rigorous screening process of applicants from across the globe by the NHSO’s Search Committee, a select group of finalists will be announced and invited to perform on one concert with the orchestra during the 2017 – 2018 season. The new Music Director will be selected prior to the 2018 – 2019 season, which will be the NHSO’s 125th Anniversary Season and current Music Director William Boughton’s Finale Season. The public will be able to follow the progress of the NHSO’s Music Director search online at www.NewHavenSymphony.org/Music-Director-Search.
The NHSO’s Music Director is responsible for the fulfillment of the orchestra’s artistic potential and its image in the community. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional musicianship and conducting skills; significant conducting experience; knowledge of a broad range of repertoire including new works by American composers; strong interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills; vision, passion, an ability to make symphonic music relevant and exciting for existing and new audiences, and a deep commitment to music education.
The search committee is co-chaired by NHSO board directors Burton Alter and Dr. Robert Blocker and comprises NHSO board directors Lourdes Alvarez and Brian Gedicks; NHSO musicians Eva Conti, Scott Cranston, Ellen Higham, Rebecca Patterson, and Artemis Simerson; and community leaders Dr. Keith Churchwell and Carol Ross.
Keith B. Churchwell, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP is Vice President and Executive Director of the Heart and Vascular Center and Transplantation Center for Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, obtaining an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine. He spent his formative training years, including his cardiology fellowship and a chief residency in medicine, at Emory University Medical School and Affiliated Hospitals, then spendt 12 years in a private cardiology practice before joining Vanderbilt Medical School as full-time academic faculty in 2006. Dr. Churchwell previously served as the Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer of Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute for 5 years and held various administrative and clinical positions during his 15 year association with Vanderbilt.
Spirited arts champion Carol Ross has served tirelessly as a community leader in New Haven. As past president of the board of Neighborhood Music School, she chaired and championed a successful capital campaign to renovate the organization’s Audubon Street facility. Through her leadership and philanthropic generosity, she was instrumental in strengthening eight cultural institutions as part of the Greater New Haven Arts Stabilization program. She has served on the boards of the New Haven Museum and Historical Society and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and is the current Vice Chair of the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
Music Director Search Committee member Keith Churchwell, M.D. says, “It is a thrill to participate in the search for the New Haven Symphony’s next music director. In any great city, the music director of its orchestra can be a lightning rod for interest and participation in the arts, as well as a catalyst for greater social change. The committee has been hard at work reviewing potential candidates and are looking forward to the next steps of introducing these potential artistic leaders to Greater New Haven’s vibrant community.”
Current Music Director William Boughton will be ending his 12-season tenure with the NHSO in May 2019. His future plans include international guest conducting opportunities and devoting more time to his ongoing music education work in the New Haven community.
Click here to learn more about the NHSO’s Music Director Search.
