Conductor Anthony Parnther, Balancing Classic, Contemporary, and Screen Scores

In Wednesday’s (12/20) New York Times, Steve Smith writes, “Anthony Parnther has a job that routinely takes him to fantastic places. Parnther, 42, makes his New York Philharmonic conducting debut this week. His destination? Wakanda: With a wave of his hand, he’ll evoke lush jungles and shimmering citadels as the film ‘Black Panther’ screens overhead. Back home in Los Angeles in January, Parnther … conducts the sweeping score to ‘Oppenheimer.’ But in a recent video interview, Parnther … was cramming for a Christmas concert with the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, where he has served as music director since 2019…. Posts at San Bernardino and the Southeast Symphony Orchestra—a Los Angeles ensemble that is one of the nation’s oldest primarily Black orchestras—allow Parnther to explore and expand the repertoire…. His growing career … has included appearances with … the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Even if you don’t know Parnther by name, you’ve likely heard his conducting—on film soundtracks … television series … video games … His work as a versatile, open-minded conductor brought him attention beyond the studios…. In 2020 Parnther was named conductor of the Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, an elite annual aggregation of classical musicians of African descent.”