In Monday’s (2/15) Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee), Jon W. Sparks writes, “The Memphis Symphony Orchestra, seeking a rising star as its new conductor, on Monday named Mei-Ann Chen to be its fourth music director. Her three-year contract with the MSO starts with the 2010-11 season. Members of the search committee said last year that they were looking for an ‘up-and-comer’ to be the musical leader of the symphony. … The dozen members of the search committee included MSO musicians, board members and community leaders. Chen’s appointment was unanimously approved by the Memphis Orchestral Society Board of Directors. She replaces [outgoing] maestro David Loebel. In her first season, Chen will conduct 10 weeks of concerts in all of the MSO series—the First Tennessee Masterworks Series, the Memphis Symphony Pops and the Paul & Linnea Bert Chamber Series. … Chen, 36, will come to Memphis on Feb. 22 to meet the community and discuss the upcoming season. Chen formerly was leader of the Portland Youth Philharmonic.” Chen is currently serving as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s assistant conductor under the League of American Orchestras’ American Conducting Fellows program.
Posted February 16, 2010
