Music Director Jader Bignamini leads the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
In Thursday’s (12/7) Detroit Free Press, Brian McCollum writes, “Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Jader Bignamini has been given a contract extension through 2031, the DSO’s governing board announced Thursday. The Italian conductor, whose upbeat energy and artistic acumen have galvanized musicians and audiences since his arrival in 2020, has signed a five-year extension atop his initial six-year deal…. The contract extension sends a message of stability to DSO supporters, musicians and staff, [DSO president and CEO Erik] Rönmark said, signaling that the orchestra is ‘not just post-pandemic anymore but really looking ahead to what’s next.’… Also announced Thursday was a forthcoming album featuring the DSO’s performance of Wynton Marsalis’s ‘Blues Symphony,’ recorded live at Orchestra Hall last weekend. Set for release on the Dutch label Pentatone, it will be the Detroit Symphony’s first new album recording since 2016…. The DSO on Thursday also revealed a solid financial footing, including an operating surplus of $330,000 for the fiscal year ending in August—the 11th straight year of operating surpluses … Revenue was $34.41 million, with expenses of $34.09 million. The orchestra’s endowment grew by nearly $4 million, ending the year at $75.3 million. That was attributed to $1.7 million in pledge payments and a 9.1% return on assets.”
