Symphony Seeks New Music Director
SYMPHONY NEW BRUNSWICK INC.
PRESS RELEASE
Symphony Seeks New Music Director
At Symphony New Brunswick’s Annual General Meeting Sunday afternoon, the Symphony announced that a formal search for a new Music Director has commenced. The position will be advertised before the end of the month. Michael Newnham left the position last May and was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Symphony. Newnham will conduct the Symphony’s presentation of “Messiah” in December; but guest conductors will lead the remainder of the Symphony’s concerts this season and next. Mélanie Léonard, conductor of the Sudbury Symphony, conducted SNB’s successful tour last week and Bernhard Gueller, Music Director of Symphony Nova Scotia will be on the podium in November. Reid Parker, president of the Symphony, said some of the guests will be candidates for the position and he invited audience participation in the selection process. “Comments on each concert can be sent to the Symphony’s e-mail address and they will be considered by the Search Committee.” Parker also said he hoped an appointment can be made near the end of the 2019-2020 season.
The Symphony announced that it earned a surplus of $10,000 on its operations during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018. Symphony treasurer Cathy Rignanesi attributed the results to increased ticket revenue and a larger grant from Symphony New Brunswick Foundation Inc. “The Symphony added a concert to its ‘Bravo’ Main Series last season which helped boost revenue but the results can also be attributed to the Christmas tour featuring David Myles which sold out in Saint John and Fredericton.”
Parker stressed the growing importance of the Foundation to the Symphony. With its grant from the Canada Council frozen for the next three years at 2015 levels and growing competition within the Province for private sector funding, Parker said the Symphony is placing increasing reliance on the Foundation to remain financially healthy. “It is important for the Foundation to continue to grow,” he said, “and I must thank the Government of Canada for its continued support of the Foundation from the Canada Cultural Investment Fund-Endowment Incentives Component as well as from the private sector donors to the Foundation against which funding from this government program is matched.”
At the Annual General Meeting, two directors whose term on the board had expired were re-elected. The board consists of Parker, Michael Wennberg, David Barry and Ellen Desmond, all of Rothesay; Rignanesi of Quispamsis; Peter Hyslop of Hartland; Kathryn Hamer-Edwards of Sackville and Brian Baxter of Shediac Cape. In an organizational board meeting following the AGM, the officers were re-appointed: Reid Parker, president, Cathy Rignanesi, treasurer and Ellen Desmond, secretary.
The Symphony’s next concert series occurs November 12-14 in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John respectively. Bernhard Gueller returns for his third guest conducting appearance with SNB and will conduct Joseph Haydn’s popular Symphony no. 104 in D (“London”), the Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Minor with 27-year-old superstar Leonie Rettig, and the famous Adagio by American composer Samuel Barber.
Symphony New Brunswick Inc. operates the Province’s only full-scale, full season professional symphony orchestra as well as Camerata New Brunswick, a 20 member professional chamber orchestra. The Company also hosts the Saint John String Quartet and Ventus Machina of Moncton.
For more information about the Symphony and its activities, please contact:
Symphony New Brunswick Inc.
Brunswick Square, Level 3
39 King Street
Saint John, N.B.
E2L 4W3
symphony@nbnet.nb.ca
Phone: 506-634-8379
Facebook: www.facebook.com/symphonynb
Twitter: @SymphonyNB
