“The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, housed at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, has a new conductor,” reads an unsigned article in Monday’s (6/7) Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, FL). “After 18 months of meticulous searching, Todd Craven has been named NFSO music director and conductor in time for the orchestra’s 35th season…. Craven hails from Flint, Michigan, where he attended the Flint Institute of Music and then went on to the University of Michigan…. Craven has held the position of assistant conductor of both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Florida Grand Opera, and was the co-founder and music director of the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra. He has also led many orchestras across the country as guest conductor, most recently at the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in Ohio.” In an interview, Craven speaks about beginning his professional career as principal trumpet of the Sarasota Orchestra; conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic’s performance of Peter Boyer’s multimedia Ellis Island: A Dream of America; his conducting mentors, who include JoAnn Falletta, Marin Alsop, William Wiedrich, Kenneth Kiesler, and Donald Schleicher; and his plans to engage with Florida’s Gulf Coast community with NFSO performances at different venues as well as adding community and educational initiatives.
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