Over the season the Port Angeles Symphony will be presenting guest conductor candidates all vying to become the next professional conductor of the orchestra.
Audience members will have the opportunity to complete a written evaluation form and their assessment is very important in determining who will be the next music director and conductor of the orchestra.
The successful candidate will have a commitment to fulfilling the orchestra’s potential as an exceptional artistic and community resource and will have a willingness to become involved in the life of area communities.
The next concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Port Angeles High School Auditorium, 304 E. Park Ave, Port Angeles, featuring guest conductor candidate Jooyong Ahn and violin soloist Monique Mead. A final rehearsal concert will be at 10 a.m.
Conductor candidate
Ahn is a citizen of the United States and native of Seoul, South Korea. He was educated at Kyung Hee University, Seoul, majoring in violin and viola performance. He performed with major orchestras around the world at many notable music venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Philadelphia’s Academy Hall.
He holds two Master of Music degrees, one in Orchestral Conducting from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
In the United States he was music director of symphony orchestras in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and South Carolina. He founded the Atlantic Southeast Ballet Orchestra in Charleston, and guest conducted the Charleston Symphony Orchestra at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in 2003 and 2004.
He was a professor of conducting at three universities beginning in 1987: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Chungnam National University and Western Kentucky University.
He is a professor of Orchestral Conducting and Director of orchestras at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Violin soloist
A passionate ambassador of classical music, violinist Monique Mead enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, educator and innovator. Inspired and mentored by Leonard Bernstein, Mead has devoted her performing career to nurturing new audiences and deepening the musical experience for seasoned concertgoers.
Her programs with major orchestras and festivals in the United States and Europe have drawn international acclaim for their popular appeal and innovative approach.
In addition to programming, performing, and presenting concerts with orchestras since 1997, Mead has trained hundreds of orchestral musicians to be effective teaching artists, helping them to make meaningful connections with young audiences.
The opportunity to offer this training at the conservatory level came in 2012, when Mead was appointed Director of Music Entrepreneurship Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. With a focus on experiential learning, she collaborates with world-class musicians in helping students develop a broad range of skills and take an innovative approach to professional life.
She performs on a violin made by Niccolo Amati in 1687, made available by Carnegie Mellon University.
Tickets
Ticket prices are for the final rehearsal: $5 individual, $10 family; 7:30 p.m. concert, reserved seating $30 and $20; general seating, $15 adults/$12 seniors and students.
Free admission to youths 16 and under when accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are available at Port Book and News and the symphony office in Port Angeles, The Good Book in Sequim and Sequim Village Glass in Carlsborg; online at portangelessymphony.org, or by calling 457-5579.
