The Tucson Symphony Orchestras has appointed AARON BOYD concertmaster, effective with the 2009-10 season. Boyd was born in Pittsburgh and made his solo debut at age 17 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; he has performed as a member of the Metamorphosen, Prometheus, and Orpheus chamber orchestras, and has toured as a member of the Sejong Soloists. He is currently on the violin faculty of Columbia University.
Posted June 12, 2009
JONATHAN VINOCOUR has been appointed principal viola of the San Francisco Symphony, effective with the 2009-10 season. Vinocour has been principal viola of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra since 2007. A recent winner of the Holland America Music Society Competition, he has been featured on the Dame Myra Hess Recital Series and the Chicago radio program Live from WFMT. Vinocour holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Princeton University and a master’s degree in music from New England Conservatory.
Posted June 12, 2009
Minnesota’s St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of ANDREW ALTENBACH as artistic director and principal conductor, effective with the 2009-10 season. Altenbach most recently served as resident conductor and head of the music staff at the Minnesota Opera and previously was assistant conductor for the Santa Fe Opera. He also has worked with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Bloomington Symphony, and Indiana University Symphonic and Chamber Orchestras. The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra also announced the appointment of DANIEL O’BRYANT as assistant conductor, effective with the 2009-10 season. O’Bryant will be responsible for conducting the orchestra’s pops and educational programs and any concerts for which Altenbach is not available.
Posted June 12, 2009
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of RON GAFFORD as board chairman. Gafford is chairman, president, and CEO of Austin Industries, a Dallas-based general contractor and construction management company. Gafford succeeds HAL BRIERLEY, who will continue to serve on the DSO board.
Posted June 12, 2009
The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in Illinois has appointed DANIEL BEDER to its conducting staff, effective July 1. Beder will conduct the EYSO’s Prelude Orchestra for string players in grades 4 through 9. Beder, a cellist, teaches orchestra at Gregory Middle School in Naperville and plays in the Jan Sobieski String Quartet. He holds degrees in music history and theory, mathematics, and music education from Oberlin College and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Posted June 12, 2009
Alabama’s Mobile Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of GREG GORDON as executive director. Since last year he had been serving in that post on an interim basis, having previously worked as the MSO’s director of operations and personnel as well as performing in area orchestras as a French hornist. A native of Mobile, Gordon attended the University of South Alabama, and more recently completed the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management course.
Posted June 8, 2009
EDVARD TCHIVZHEL, music director and conductor of the Greenville (S.C.) Symphony Orchestra since 1999, has signed a new five-year contract extending his commitment to the orchestra until July 1, 2014. From 1993 to 2008 Tchivzhel held the post of music director at the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and he was music director of the New York-based Atlantic Sinfonietta from 1992 to 1994. A native of Leningrad trained at the Leningrad Conservatoire, Tchivzhel has served as music director of the Karelian Symphony Orchestra of National Television and Radio, assistant conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, chief conductor of Sweden’s Umea Sinfonietta, and associate conductor of the U.S.S.R. State Symphony Orchestra. He has also guest conducted such U.S. orchestras as Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids, and last year made his conducting debut with Dayton Opera.
Posted June 8, 2009
Cleveland Institute of Music has appointed ADRIAN DALY dean, effective in July 2009. He is currently associate dean for admissions and retention at Eastman School of Music, where he served previously as assistant dean of academic affairs, as director of career services, and as assistant dean of students. Daly has 22 years of administrative and teaching experience at Eastman, at the University of Notre Dame, and at various institutions in Ireland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Trinity College Dublin, a master’s from Notre Dame, and a doctoral degree in piano performance and literature from Eastman.
Posted June 8, 2009
Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, S.C.) has announced the appointment of violinist GEOFF NUTTALL as the Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Artistic Director for Chamber Music, effective with the 2010 festival when he will succeed longtime Artistic Director CHARLES WADSWORTH. Nuttall first performed at Spoleto Festival USA in 1995 with the St. Lawrence String Quartet, which he co-founded two decades ago, and has served as associate artistic director of Spoleto’s chamber music series since 2008. He has performed more than 1,800 concerts with the St. Lawrence String Quartet in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia, and is currently on the faculty at Stanford University in California.
Posted June 8, 2009
The Hartt School of the University of Hartford has appointed RITA PORFIRIS assistant professor of viola, effective in September 2009. Winner of numerous solo and chamber music prizes, she has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center and Merkin Concert Hall, at the Salzburg Mozarteum, and in Houston with such organizations as the Montrose Quartet, Greenbriar Consortium, The Foundation for Modern Music, and Barmusic. Porfiris has served on the faculty at Houston’s Rice University, Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, the Texas Music Festival, New York University, Florida International University, and New York’s Harlem School for the Arts.
Posted June 8, 2009