Michigan’s Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra has announced “Pursuit of the Podium: The Search for Ann Arbor’s Next Celebrity Conductor,” a yearlong fundraising event benefitting the orchestra’s education programs. To enter, potential conductors must submit a short video detailing why they should be the celebrity conductor. The field will be narrowed to twenty conductors on November 21, ten candidates on January 21, and five finalists on March 17, with advancement based on popular vote; votes cost $2 (or 3 votes for $5), or $1 per vote for students. The contest winner will be revealed at the orchestra’s Carmina Burana concert on April 21, when he or she will conduct a short piece to open the program. More information on “Pursuit of the Podium” is available by phone (734-994-4801) and email (celebconductor@a2so.com).

Posted September 26, 2011