Harmonious Competition
The search for a symphony director brings diverse sounds to Southwest Florida
For 54 years, Southwest Florida Symphony has been sharing its passion for music with the community through ever- growing artistic quality and cultural relevance in concerts and presentations. This season, performances have gained an even stronger level of diversity as the symphony continues its search for the next in- house music director.
In the last year, the orchestra’s board of directors has been sorting through video submissions of over 150 applicants around the world, finally narrowing down the conductor search to five finalists. As part of the audition process, chosen interviewees have been participating as guest conductors in the symphony’s Masterworks series, which began in November. Two of the five candidates have yet to hit the stage, and Southwest Florida Symphony’s vice president of development and strategic marketing Amy Padilla says the remaining finalists will add to the cultural diversity and musicianship that the others have already executed in performances. “[ The finalists] are all very different,” Padilla says. “They’re all very well- known and talented, but that’s where the commonality ends.”
Maestro Andreas Delfs will lead the symphony in performances of Wagner’s
Flying Dutchman Overture, Brahms’
THE FINALISTS] ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT. THEY’RE ALL VERY WELL- KNOWN AND TALENTED, BUT THAT’S WHERE THE COMMONALITY ENDS.” — AMY PADILLA OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SYMPHONY
Symphony No. 4, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 on Saturday, March 1, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. His worldly background and range of accolades indicate just how different, and sought after, each competing music director is.
“Maestro Delfs has a reputation that precedes him,” says Padilla. “People who follow conductors as closely as others follow baseball know all about him and are very honored that someone of his caliber will be coming here.”
Born in Flensburg, Germany, Delfs has held artistic posts in Hanover, Germany ( where he served as general music director), and i n Switzerland at the Berne Opera. With additional positions at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and national experience as a guest conductor, Delfs is well- regarded by U. S. orchestra aficionados. Many may recognize him for his inspired interpretations of greats like Beethoven and Bruckner, but his work with contemporary composers has been
THEY SAY WE HAVE A REALLY DIFFICULT DECISION ON OUR HANDS, AND I FEAR THEY ARE RIGHT. WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT EACH OF THESE GUYS.”
— AMY PADILLA OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SYMPHONY
noted as equally consistent. Currently, the world- traveled music director serves as the conductor laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Even though Delfs may be considered a hard act to follow, Padilla says maestro Nir Kabaretti, who will conclude the Masterworks series by l eading the orchestra in performances of Dvorak’s
Symphony No. 8, Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture, and Gershwin’s Concerto in F on March 29 at the Barbara B. Mann, has just as much experience under his baton.
The Israel native has collaborated with some of the world’s leading opera houses, orchestras and classical musicians, including Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Itzhak Perlman and Salvatore Licitra. Internationally, he keeps a steady schedule as a guest conductor and has appeared at Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, among dozens of others. Kabaretti’s operatic renditions
are also lengthy, with guided productions like Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, both at Teatro alla Scala di Milano. Among other accomplishments throughout his musical career, Kabaretti gained the America- Israel Cultural Foundation Grant for Young Conductors, and won the Forum Junger Künstler Conducting Competition in Vienna in 1993. Aside from his award- winning talent, Padilla says it’s his warm personality that makes him a real crowd- pleaser. “Kabaretti has a very sweet personality, and a great style,” says Padilla. “He’s a great addition to the group [ of finalists].”
Past contestants who participated in the Masterworks series include American conductor Chelsea Tipton II, who led the symphony in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony No. 4 in November; Guillermo Figueroa, a previous music director in Puerto Rico who conducted Rachmaninoff’s
Symphony No. 2, Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, and Cordero’s Insula Tropical in January; and travelling guest- conductor David Commanday, who directed Shostakovich’s
Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven’s Lenore Overture No. 3 on February 8. Padilla says the crowd has shown immense gratitude for all of the finalists, who have brought world- class sounds to Southwest Florida. She notes that Figueroa even received a two- minute standing ovation for his performance.
Though audience members may be honored to listen to an array of sounds and styles throughout the ongoing competition, Padilla says they are happy to simply admire without the task of ultimately choosing one winner. “They don’t envy us,” Padilla says of guests. “They say we have a really difficult decision on our hands, and I fear they are right. We are passionate about each of these guys.” By June 1, Padilla says Southwest Florida Symphony hopes to have found the perfect match.
Get tickets to upcoming Masterworks concerts at swflso. org. Melanie Pagan is the assignment editor and social media coordinator for TOTI Media. Follow her on our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages, and at blog. totimedia. com.