Category: Who’s In

At the Oregon Symphony, JANET PLUMMER has been promoted from revenue services manager to the newly created post of vice president for finance and administration. Before joining the orchestra last August she had served as COO and CFO of LightBridge Healthcare Research in San Antonio; as executive director of the Touchmark Foundation in Beaverton, Ore.; and as founder of her own internet-based gourmet food business. Plummer holds an MBA from Marylhurst University and a bachelor’s from Virginia’s University of Mary Washington.  Also announced by the Oregon Symphony was the appointment of BILL CRANE as director of major gifts. He has held numerous arts administration and fund-raising posts in the Portland area, including senior positions with the Confluence Project, Oregon Council for the Humanities, Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children Inc., Portland State University, the Saturday Academy, and Portland Baroque Orchestra. Crane has also worked as an organist, choir director, and arts producer, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Florida State University.

Posted July 2, 2009

Dr. MILOS KRAJNY has been elected president of the Toronto Philharmonia Orchestra, resident orchestra in the George Weston Recital Hall at Toronto Centre for the Arts. He succeeds WILLIAM JENSEN, who had served as president for three years. The orchestra’s new executive director as of June 1 is SHAUN PILOT, whose background includes 27 years in the field of arts presentation and production in Montreal, New York, Prague, and Toronto.

Posted July 2, 2009

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York City has appointed ELIZABETH MAHLER assistant director of institutional giving, effective July 20. Mahler recently completed training in the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program administered by the League of American Orchestras. Prior to entering that program in June 2008 she spent three years at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, first as a violin fellow, then as assistant to the executive vice president/development coordinator, and finally as communications manager. A native of Buffalo, Mahler holds a master’s degree in violin performance and pedagogy from Peabody Conservatory, and a bachelor’s in American history and literature from Harvard University. She spent four summers at Tanglewood Music Center, two as a member of the New Fromm Players, TMC’s contemporary ensemble-in-residence.

Posted June 30, 2009

The Charlotte (N.C.) Symphony has announced the addition of four musicians to its roster: KARIN BLIZNIK, acting principal trumpet; RICHARD HARRIS, second trumpet; ELINA LEV, acting associate concertmaster; and LEONARDO SOTO, principal timpani.

Posted June 30, 2009

The Albany (N.Y.) Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of BRIAN RITTER as executive director, effective in mid-August. For the past five years Ritter has served as executive director of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra in northern Illinois. During his tenure the RSO has twice been recognized (in 2007 and in 2008) by the Illinois Council of Orchestras as Orchestra of the Year, and the same organization recently honored Ritter with its General Manager of the Year award. In 2007 he was selected by the League of American Orchestras for the inaugural class in its two-year Executive Leadership Program. Prior to joining the Rockford Symphony Ritter served as development director of the Allentown (Pa.) Symphony Association, and had earlier been executive director of the Boston-based New England Philharmonic. A native of Allentown, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Pennsylvania’s Gettysburg College, where he served for three years as a student conductor and drum major of the Bullet Band. 

Posted June 25, 2009

The Fort Wayne (Ind.) Philharmonic has appointed ANDREW CONSTANTINE as its seventh music director; he will serve as music director designate in the 2009-10 season and begin full-time duties in 2010-11, succeeding EDVARD TCHIVZHEL, who stepped down as music director at the end of the 2007-08 season. Constantine has been music director of the Reading (Pa.) Symphony Orchestra since 2007. For three years prior to that he was with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, first as assistant conductor and subsequently as associate conductor. Recent guest engagements have included the Syracuse and Quad City symphony orchestras; the Fort Wayne, Boise, City of Mexico, and George Enescu philharmonics; and the National Symphony of Taiwan. A native of England, Constantine received his training at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, with Leonard Bernstein at Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and at the Leningrad Conservatory. He was awarded first prize in the Donatella Flick/Accademia Italiana Conducting Competition.

Posted June 25, 2009

Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts has announced the appointment of KEDRIK MERWIN as director of music. In this role he will oversee all aspects of music at Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy. Merwin has taught at the University of Rochester and at Georgia’s Columbus State University, where he was awarded the Pam and John Smart Faculty Award for innovative and motivational teaching. A professional trombonist who has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and many other orchestras in the Southeast, Merwin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Eastman School of Music. He received degrees in trombone performance with emphasis in music theory from St. Olaf College and Northwestern University.

Posted June 25, 2009

IMG Artists has announced the appointment of CHARLES HAMLEN as chairman, effective immediately. He replaces BARRETT WISSMAN, who will continue to work with IMG on special projects. Along with Edna Landau, Hamlen co-founded Hamlen/Landau Management in 1979; that firm became IMG Artists following its acquisition by International Management Group in 1984. Hamlen left IMG in 1993 to found Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS. He has led that organization since its inception, and will continue to serve as its executive director. A 1965 graduate of Harvard College, Hamlen pursued graduate studies at the Sorbonne and taught high school French before beginning his career in arts management.

Charles Hamlen photo by Steve J. Sherman 

Posted June 23, 2009

El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras has appointed ANDRES MORAN music director, effective in fall 2009. He will also serve as assistant conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, assisting EPSO Music Director Sarah Ioannides. Moran is a native of El Paso, where he has taught middle- and high-school band. He studied French horn and music education at New Mexico State University, continued his education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and is currently completing a Doctor of Music degree in conducting at Indiana University.

Posted June 23, 2009

The Philadelphia Orchestra Association has announced the appointment of KATHERINE BLODGETT as vice president for public relations and communications, effective July 1. Currently the orchestra’s director of public/media relations, Blodgett has been a member of the orchestra’s staff since 2001, when she was hired as assistant director of public relations. She had earlier served as executive director of the Mallarmé Chamber Players in Durham, N.C.; as public relations director of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, N.Y.; and as public relations manager of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Blodgett is an alumna of William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., and began her career as director of student activities at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Posted June 23, 2009