Following are the eight finalists to replace Edvard Tchivzhel, musical director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. They will conduct the full orchestra and the chamber orchestra during the 2008-2009 performance season.
Hélène Bouchez, age 34
Bouchez has been a guest conductor in Europe and Asia. In the United States, she was invited by Marin Alsop in 2003 to perform in the Cabrillo Festival. In 2006, she was selected by Leonard Slatkin to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra as part of the National Conducting Institute.
David In-Jae Cho, age 33
Cho currently is the assistant conductor of the Utah Symphony & Opera and until recently also was the resident conductor of the San Antonio Symphony. This past fall, Cho won first prize in the third Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition in Mexico City and will be guest conducting more than 20 international orchestras over the next two seasons.
Andrew Constantine, age 46
Constantine was appointed music director of the Reading Symphony in Pennsylvania earlier this season. Prior to that, he was the associate conductor for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has worked in Europe as a guest conductor of many major symphony orchestras.
Andrew Grams, age 30
Grams began his one-year tenure as resident conductor of the Florida Orchestra this season after completing a three-year term as assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, where he was an American Symphony Orchestra League conducting fellow. An accomplished violinist, Grams was a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra at Lincoln Center from 1998 to 2004.
Daniel Meyer, age 35
Meyer currently is the music director of both the Erie Philharmonic and the Asheville Symphony, resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. He has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as the Utah, Fort Worth, and San Antonio symphonies.
Tito Muñoz, age 24
Muñoz currently is assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra and a conducting fellow of the League of American Orchestras. Previously, he was assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the 2006-2007 season. Also an accomplished violinist, he has performed in many of New York’s leading ensembles and numerous Broadway shows.
Danail Rachev, age 37
Rachev presently is in his third season as assistant conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and in his first as artistic director for the Camerata Winds chamber ensemble in Texas. Next season, he begins an appointment as assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Previously, he was the first apprentice conductor for New World Symphony, working under Michael Tilson Thomas.
Gregory Vajda, age 34
Vajda is serving his third season as resident conductor of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that position, he served for three years as assistant conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and as music director for the New Theatre Budapest and principal guest conductor of the Hungarian State Opera. Vajda has guest-conducted orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
