In Sunday’s (10/7) Tampa Bay Times (Florida), John Fleming writes, “The Florida Orchestra is looking for a new music director, and a group of guest conductors this season makes up a list of possible successors to Stefan Sanderling, who announced a few months ago that he was giving up the position two years sooner than expected. But don’t call them ‘candidates,’ says president Michael Pastreich. … ‘When you’re dealing with conductors at the level we’re trying to attract, they’re not going to put themselves in a situation where they don’t get the job.’ … The season gets under way next weekend, with Stuart Malina on the podium for concerts in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.” Malina is the orchestra’s coffee concert conductor and principal guest conductor. “The rest of the lineup features 11 guest conductors who will be in front of the orchestra for 12 programs (one conductor has two programs) in the masterworks series. … Jane Peppard, chairwoman of the search committee, which includes five orchestra players, four board members and one person from the community, looks on the bright side of Sanderling leaving early. ‘I think the influence it has is that it has opened up an opportunity to see more people sooner,’ says Peppard, a former executive with the Tampa Bay Times.” Sanderling will continue as principal conductor of Ohio’s Toledo Symphony.
Posted October 10, 2012
