Press Releases

New MSO assistant conductor Covington invited to 3rd round of Danish competition

Conner Gray Covington, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s new assistant conductor, was invited to participate in the third round of the prestigious Malko Conducting Competition in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Memphis Symphony Orchestra brings back biannual favorite, Symphony in the Gardens

Stilian Kirov will conduct Gardens concert

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MSO hires Conner Gray Covington to be Assistant Conductor for the 2012-2013 season

Memphis Symphony Orchestra has appointed Conner Gray Covington to the position of Assistant Conductor for the orchestra’s 2012-2013 season. He was chosen from a pool of 106 applicants and five finalists for the position.

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Young Rice University musician chosen for MSO's principal clarinet seat

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra has chosen Andre Dyachenko, a Houston musician and Rice University doctoral candidate, for the position of principal clarinetist. He will succeed Dr. James Gholson, who is retiring in May after 39 years with the orchestra.

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Memphis Symphony taps Art Seessel to lead organization during interim period

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra has selected Arthur N. Seessel, III as interim CEO during the upcoming period while the organization will be conducting a national search for the successor to Ryan Fleur.

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James Gholson, principal clarinetist with MSO, to take a final bow after nearly four decades

Dr. James Gholson, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s principal clarinetist and one of the first African-American principal musicians among American orchestras, will retire at the end of the MSO’s current season in May.

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Memphis Symphony brings Gustav Mahler’s epic ‘Resurrection’ to the stage April 14

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents Gustav Mahler’s immortal Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, known as the Resurrection Symphony, in a First Tennessee Masterworks concert on Saturday, April 14 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts.

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April auditions are set for five finalists for MSO’s assistant conductor

Auditions will be held for five finalists for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra's next assistant conductor on Sunday and Monday, April 15-16, 2012. The five finalists were selected among 106 applicants from 21 countries.

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Yo-Yo Ma will perform with the MSO for a special concert in its 60th season

Incomparable cellist Yo-Yo Ma will perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in an October concert at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. It will accent an extraordinary new season as the MSO celebrates its 60th anniversary starting next fall.

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MSO's Ryan Fleur selected for executive position with The Philadelphia Orchestra

Ryan Fleur, President and CEO of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 2003, whose leadership has taken the 59-year-old performing arts group to new heights and national recognition, has been named Executive Vice President of Orchestra Advancement with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

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The Contours bring sounds of Motown to Memphis Symphony’s Pops concert

The timeless grooves of Motown will fill the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts when The Contours play with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m.

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Marcela Pinilla brings unique Latin Jazz blend to the Memphis Symphony’s Opus One series

Temperatures are sure to rise when Latin-Jazz singer Marcela Pinilla performs for two nights at The Rumba Room as part of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra's Opus One series. The concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 1 and 2, downtown.

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Memphis Symphony signs Music Director Mei-Ann Chen to three-year contract renewal

Mei-Ann Chen and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra have agreed to a three-year extension of her contract, keeping her in the position of Music Director through the 2015-2016 season.

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Opus One Connections second free program to be held Feb. 19 at Hickory Ridge

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents its second free program from Opus One Connections on February 19, 2012.

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Theme for this year’s Young People’s Concerts is the Art of Communication

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents The Art of Communication!, a Young People’s Concert program for 32 Memphis-area schools, on Wednesday, February 22 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Concert times are 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

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Opus One Connections opens series of free programs Jan. 29 at Hickory Ridge

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents Opus One Connections, the first in a series of free community programs open to the public, on January 29, 2012 featuring Latin-Jazz singer Marcela Pinilla.

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Kirov named assistant conductor for the Seattle Symphony

Stilian Kirov, the young associate conductor for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and music director of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program, has been appointed assistant conductor for the Seattle Symphony.

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Memphis Symphony Chorus to hold auditions for singers

The Memphis Symphony Chorus is holding auditions to select new chorus members on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 6 p.m. at Balmoral Presbyterian Church, located at 6413 Quince Road.

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Memphis Symphony’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ concert to include audience sing-along

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s “Home for the Holidays” concert, led by MSO associate conductor Stilian Kirov and featuring the Memphis Symphony Chorus, will present favorite carols and holiday tunes to make this festive time of year special for the audience.

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Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Orphanos Present 6th annual Memphis Messiah benefit

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform Handel’s Messiah on Friday, December 9, and for the sixth straight year proceeds from the public performance will fund three special performances for more than 5,000 fourth and fifth graders from inner city and jubilee schools.

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Memphis Symphony's Opus One series opens with crunk master Al Kapone

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Opus One series continues to break down Memphis’s cultural barriers through music, kicking off its third season with a concert featuring acclaimed crunk rapper Al Kapone. This radical concert series gives the Memphis Symphony musicians and Kapone the opportunity to test the boundaries of their musical landscape –¬ melding the classical and hip hop forms together in a seamless evening of music.

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THE RECORDING ACADEMY® MEMPHIS CHAPTER OF GRAMMY U® INTRODUCE COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO M

The Memphis Chapter of GRAMMY U® the student membership program of The Recording Academy®, will partner with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra's Opus One program to offer a unique experience for GRAMMY U members and Memphis area high school students.

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