Search for new music director will inspire Delaware Symphony Orchestra season
I was sitting at my desk yesterday and contemplating yet another sold-out concert by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra — our third this season alone. We've come a long way. The revived enthusiasm for our orchestra and the air of positivity about our progress is something that we can all be proud of, and I am grateful.
When I got here, I honestly didn't know if the DSO could find a way to inspire the broader community. The DSO has enjoyed a solid column of generous supporters for many years. However, like many symphony orchestras across the U.S., we struggled to reach beyond our core.
We were not doing enough to reach deep into our communities to attract and build audiences. Expanding our audience base would take time, and I knew it would take the right team and constant work. Over the past two years, we have assembled an amazing staff that has worked tirelessly to spread the word about the DSO with extraordinary results.
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Each department — development, marketing, finance, patron services, production and education — now runs at full speed, led by the strongest team I have ever been honored to work with. With the musicians of the orchestra and the board of directors, we all share the same goal of creating exceptional, exciting and welcoming musical experiences for all of Delaware.
This season, we have created even more of these experiences for everyone, and I'm confident that our record attendance shows that we are on the right track.
While our current season has been a success by all measures, our 2024-2025 season will signal a pivotal point in our history. Beginning in September and continuing through the spring of 2025, we will present the four finalists selected for consideration as the Delaware Symphony Orchestra's sixth music director.
These candidates — Mélisse Brunet, Filippo Ciabatti, Taichi Fukumura and Michelle Di Russo — were selected from a pool of 147 applicants from around the globe.
Our process began last June with the formation of a search committee made up of musicians of the orchestra, members of the board of directors and community leaders. That group met constantly through the fall and winter, ultimately holding over 20 hours of interviews to select the finalists. All four are dynamic, highly accomplished professionals that we are excited to welcome to Delaware and present to you all.
During the year, each candidate will conduct the DSO in programs that have been designed to showcase masterpieces for orchestra, including major works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahm and Dvořák, as well as pieces composed in recent years by Gabriela Ortiz, Anna Clyne, and young American composers Carlos Simon and Brian Nabors. Each program also will offer insights into our finalists' strengths, personalities and leadership.
People have asked me repeatedly over the past months, "What are you looking for in a music director?" and "How will you know when you find the right one?"
Selecting a new artistic leader is much like a courtship. While all our finalists are unquestionably brilliant musicians and conductors, the true measure lies in observing their evolving relationship between the orchestra, the audience and the broader community.
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Our 2024-2025 season is dedicated to finding that answer.
It's up to all of us to discern where the magic lies, and we invite and encourage everyone to be part of this process.
During the next season, these talented musicians will not only audition for the orchestra and the search committee, but also for you. Our work ahead is significant as we shape the future of our esteemed orchestra. Please join us as we seek that partner who will lead us into the future!
J.C. Barker is the chief executive officer of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.