“Eric Garcia is the new music director for the Boise Philharmonic, the orchestra announced Monday,” writes Dana Oland in Monday’s (5/8) Idaho Statesman (Boise). “Garcia replaces Robert Franz, who stepped down in 2016 after eight seasons at the Boise Phil’s helm. ‘I’m so excited to be coming to Boise,’ Garcia said from his home in Oklahoma City, where he works as director of orchestral activities and associate professor of conducting at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University…. During his Boise audition week in March, the soft-spoken Texan connected with the Boise Phil musicians, wowed the audience and impressed the search committee with his business savvy…. Garcia’s experience includes being an assistant conductor at the Seattle Symphony, working with pop musicians Brandi Carlile, Pink Martini and Herbie Hancock, and collaborating with composers John Adams, Sergio Assad and George Crumb. Garcia plans to relocate to Boise over the summer…. Garcia, 39, [studied] percussion in college but found himself drawn to composing and conducting. He graduated from the University of Texas, Austin, and earned his master’s degree in conducting from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Garcia is the sixth music director since the Boise Philharmonic was founded in 1962.”
Posted May 9, 2017