March 19, 2026 – San Rafael, CA – The Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (VMA), the largest indoor entertainment venue in Marin County, is set to reopen in January 2027, after three and a half years of closure. The County of Marin is sharing new details on the first phase of renovations at the historic venue, which has hosted legendary performers and landmark community moments for more than 50 years.

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San Rafael, CA, July 8, 2025—Marin Symphony Orchestra has announced that internationally acclaimed conductor, musician, and educator Fawzi Haimor will be its new Music Director beginning with the 2025-2026 season featuring 21 performances of nine programs from October 2025 through May 2026. Haimor has conducted distinguished orchestras in the US and around the world including the National Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, as well as the Pittsburgh Symphony, where he served as Assistant Conductor and Resident Conductor. He was Music Director of Germany’s prestigious Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, conducting the WPR in their home at the Stadthalle Reutlingen, as well as on their tours throughout Germany and Europe. Haimor’s appointment is the culmination of an international search spanning three years following the retirement of former Music Director Alasdair Neale in 2023 after 22 years on the Marin Symphony podium. Details about the 2025-26 Season may be found below; for more information about new Music Director Fawzi Haimor and the Season, visit www.marinsymphony.org .

“After a three-year search during which we reviewed applications from many extremely well-qualified candidates, we are absolutely thrilled to welcome Fawzi Haimor as our new Music Director,” said Steven Machtinger, President of the Marin Symphony’s Board of Directors and co-chair of its Search Committee. “His exceptional artistry, innovative programming ideas, passion for live orchestral music, and deep commitment to community engagement align perfectly with our vision for the orchestra’s future. We are confident that under his baton, the orchestra will reach new heights of artistic excellence and resonate with audiences old and new.”

“Fawzi Haimor is the perfect choice to succeed Alasdair Neale, as only the fourth Music Director in the Marin Symphony’s 73-year history,” commented Tod Brody, Marin Symphony Executive Director. “Fawzi’s humanity and collaborative spirit have shone so brightly in his interactions with musicians, staff, and patrons, and his work with our orchestra was first-rate. Musicians found him inspiring, intelligent, and kind, and spoke of his communication skills and his ‘comfort and confidence on the podium.’ We’ve already begun our work together, and I’m very enthused about what he will bring to the people of Marin.”

New Music Director Fawzi Haimor said, “It’s an incredible honor to join the Marin Symphony as its next Music Director. Having spent most of my life in the Bay Area, the chance to collaborate with these exceptional musicians and serve a community I care so deeply about—our community—feels both personal and profound. From the very first rehearsal, I was struck by the orchestra’s sense of purpose, artistic integrity, and collective commitment to excellence. I’ve always believed that an orchestra’s role extends beyond the stage—it’s about connection, belonging, and enriching lives through music. To contribute to that spirit here in Marin is a true privilege, and I can’t wait to begin.”

Marin Symphony’s 2025-26 season sponsors include Koret Foundation, Marin Cultural Association, Marin Independent Journal, Sequoia Living, KDFC, Bon Air Center, Unicorn Group

MARIN SYMPHONY 2025 SEASON SCHEDULE

For Fawzi Haimor’s inaugural season as Marin Symphony Music Director, he has chosen Masterworks programs that each contain works new to Marin audiences, while giving full due to the core repertoire with symphonies from Brahms, Beethoven, and Dvořák. Our exciting array of soloists includes Marin favorites Principal Pianist John Wilson in two Liszt blockbusters, and Concertmaster Ani Bukujian playing Bartók’s rhapsodic Violin Concerto #1 and Ernest Chausson’s beautiful Poeme. San Francisco Symphony superstar Principal Clarinet Carey Bell solos in Mozart’s immortal concerto, and Bay Area native Oliver Herbert, now enjoying international stardom, returns to the Marin Symphony with Shostakovich’s thrilling first Cello Concerto.

The Marin Symphony Chorus is featured in two forms: The elite Chamber Chorus performs in the traditional Holiday Choral Concerts by Candlelight at the beautiful Church of Saint Raphael, and the full chorus is featured in its own program in the spring. Two chamber music programs, featuring Marin Symphony All-Stars, and a special Pops concert “Bats & Bugs & Birds, Oh My!” conducted by the inimitable Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz, round out the season’s offerings.

Season subscriptions will be available beginning in August and single tickets go on sale September 2 at www.marinsymphony.org .

MASTERWORKS PROGRAMS
Performances at the James Dunn Theatre, College of Marin

Masterworks 1
Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 3 pm
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
John Wilson, piano

Program: John Psathas: Tarantismo; Liszt: Hungarian Fantasy and Totentanz; Brahms: Symphony #2 in D Major, Op.73

Masterworks 2
Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 3 pm
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
Carey Bell, clarinet

Program: Fanny Mendelssohn: Overture in C Major; Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, K.622; Beethoven: Symphony #7 in A Major, Op.92

Masterworks 3
Saturday, April 11, at 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 12, at 3 pm
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
Ani Bukujian, violin

Program: Mason Bates: Mothership; Bartók: Violin Concerto #1; Ginastera: Estancia; Chausson: Poeme; de Falla: Suite #2 from The Three-Cornered Hat

Masterworks 4
Saturday May 30, at 3 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 31, at 3 pm
Fawzi Haimor, conductor
Oliver Herbert, cello

Program: Valerie Coleman: Umoja; Shostakovich Cello Concerto #1 in E-flat Major, Op.107; Dvořák: Symphony #8 in G Major, Op.88

CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAMS

Chamber Music 1
Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Marin Country Club, Novato
Sunday October 5, 2025 at 3 pm
Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, Mill Valley

Program: Grażyna Bacewicz: Quartet for Violins; Schubert: Trout Quintet, D.667

Chamber Music 2
Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Marin Country Club, Novato
Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 3 pm
Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, Mill Valley

Program: Madeleine Dring: Trio for flute, oboe, & piano; Irving Fine, Partita for Wind Quintet

MARIN SYMPHONY CHORAL CONCERTS

Holiday Choral Concerts by Candlelight
Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 4 pm
Church of Saint Raphael

Traditional and contemporary holiday music and carols

Choral Concert 2
Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 3 pm
Marin School of the Arts
Program to be announced

MARIN SYMPHONY POPS
February 21, 2026 at 7:30 pm
February 22, 2026 at 3:00 pm
Marin Center Exhibit Hall, San Rafael
Stuart Chafetz, Principal Pops Conductor

Program: Bats & Bugs & Birds, Oh My!: Light classics, TV themes, and even some Beatles, conducted by Principal Pops conductor Stuart Chafetz

ABOUT FAWZI HAIMOR, MARIN SYMPHONY MUSIC DIRECTOR

Praised for his “inspiring conducting”, his “sensitivity and his ability to create a defined, transparent sound” and his “sense of drama and his particular gift for strong, emphatic finishes,” American conductor Fawzi Haimor’s international career has seen him leading distinguished orchestras throughout the US and around the world, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, for which he served as Assistant Conductor and Resident Conductor for three years.

From 2017 – 2020, Haimor was Music Director of Germany’s Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, conducting the WPR in their home at the Stadthalle Reutlingen, as well as on their tours throughout Germany and Europe.

Recent appearances include the Deustche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pflaz with soloist Nils Mönkemeyer, the Edmonton Symphony, and a return to the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Last season to critical acclaim, Haimor made his third tour appearance with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra this time, collaborating with composer John Psathas, in presenting a concert of remembrance, hope, and unity on the fifth anniversary of the harrowing Christchurch Mosque Massacre.

Haimor’s extensive credits include conducting eloquent performances of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, Orquesta Sinfónica do Porto da Música, Oulu Sinfonia, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Odense Symphony, Kyoto Symphony, Qatar Philharmonic, and Chineke! Orchestra, among others.

During his tenure with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Haimor recorded three albums for CPO Records which included Orchestral Works of George Antheil, the Piano Concertos of Eduard Franck with Georg Michael Grau, and Furtwängler’s Symphony No.1 which received critical acclaim. Additionally, during his second collaboration with the orchestra, Haimor and London based Chineke! recorded works by Coleridge-Taylor on the Decca label.

US audiences have also seen Haimor on the podium conducting The Florida Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Symphoria, Virginia Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, and the Louisiana Philharmonic.

With a repertoire that includes a focus on works of the late German Romantic period and by 19th and 20th century Russian and American composers, Haimor is also a committed advocate of contemporary music, performing premieres by composers such as Mason Bates and Kareem Roustom.

Haimor was born in Chicago in 1983 and educated in the Middle East and in San Francisco. He completed his violin training at the Jacobs School of Music in Indiana University and studied conducting under David Effron and Arthur Fagen. He earned bachelor’s degrees in both music and neurobiology, a master’s degree in conducting from the University of California-Davis, and second master’s in instrumental conducting at Indiana University.

ABOUT MARIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Marin Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1952 by a group of San Francisco Symphony musicians who lived in Marin County, and who thought their home county should have its own orchestra. The orchestra, under the baton of its first Music Director Sandor Salgo, performed in local high school and college auditoriums until the 2,000-seat Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium was opened in 1970.

Gary Sheldon succeeded Maestro Salgo in 1990 and was in turn succeeded by Alasdair Neale in 2001. Maestro Neale led the ensemble to ever-greater musical heights until his retirement in 2022. With the appointment of Fawzi Haimor as the orchestra’s fourth Music Director, the Marin Symphony continues on its path of providing musical joy, beauty, and comfort to all the people of Marin.

Originally a mix of professional and high-level amateur players, the Marin Symphony is now a fully professional orchestra, populated by many of the Bay Area’s finest musicians.

In addition to the orchestra, the Marin Symphony serves the county’s youth with its three-tiered youth orchestra program, culminating in the celebrated Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Jim Stopher. The Marin Symphony also provides music in other settings around the county, including schools, community-based organizations, and retirement communities.

The Marin Symphony remains committed to its mission to enrich, educate, and transform lives through classical music.

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Following our March 8th unveiling of our Final Four Music Director Candidates, we’ve embarked on a four-week journey to acquaint ourselves with each candidate individually. All were posed with the same three questions. We hope you’ll enjoy reading their replies and gain a deeper insight into their personalities. This fourth and final week, we will focus on Brad Hogarth.

• What do you love most about conducting?

I love the collaboration. The musicians and I both study to come to rehearsal with a vision for the music and the flexibility to adjust. Through the collaborative process, we find the best possible version of the composer’s intent for our concerts. I also love the exercise in trust that conducting necessitates. When you put your arms up to start the concert, you hope that the sounds that come out are the ones that are supposed to be there. But you really don’t know what’s going to happen. When that trust is rewarded by the musicianship of 100+ artists on stage, all with a shared purpose – there is nothing like it!

• What inspired you to pursue a career in conducting?

I didn’t always want to be a conductor; in fact, for many years, I was happy to mostly be an orchestral trumpet player! However, opportunities to conduct kept coming up, and as I grew more comfortable on the podium, I soon realized that this was a direction that might make a lot of sense for me. I love the creative process of putting together programs, studying scores, and working with friends and colleagues. Plus, I have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time, so it’s been nice to be able to stand and move around while still being part of the orchestra!

• Can you share a memorable or unexpected moment you’ve experienced while conducting?

There have been so many! The larger and more ambitious the project, the more can go wrong. One extremely memorable instance was when the Art Haus Collective created a fully staged, multi-disciplinary production of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Each movement involved a different kind of performer: everything from dancers, large puppets, actors, and even robots! One of the robots broke just before the show, and one of our incredible crew members found and jumped into a costume and proceeded to improvise a replacement for the movement with just 5 minutes of preparation! They were fantastic, and the show went smoothly!

Link to Brad’s website

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Following our March 8th unveiling of our Final Four Music Director Candidates, we’ve embarked on a four-week journey to acquaint ourselves with each candidate individually. All were posed with the same three questions. We hope you’ll enjoy reading their replies and gain a deeper insight into their personalities. This third week, we will spotlight Alexandra Arrieche.

• What do you love most about conducting?

I believe music is more than a universal language. It possesses a healing power and brings people together despite generations and backgrounds. One of the key aspects of my job is to invite individuals to listen to each other and create a space where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. This is one of the things I love most about conducting. It gives me the opportunity to connect with people in a more meaningful way, to build relationships, and to share experiences.

• What inspired you to pursue a career in conducting?

Making music with my friends back in Brazil was what gave me the impetus to dream about being a conductor. Then, when I moved to the United States, having the opportunity to have Marin Alsop as my mentor had a huge impact on my career and of my development as a conductor.

• Can you share a memorable or unexpected moment you’ve experienced while conducting?

In 2018 I was guest conducting in Mexico City. The main piece on the program was Sheherazade as they are celebrating International Women’s Day. At the end of the Sunday matinee concert, typically a time when parents bring their children, I was returning to the stage for the second round of applause when I noticed a beautiful young girl running down the aisle. She made her way directly to the stage to greet me and thank me for the concert. She had the biggest smile on her face and the brightest eyes. Her excitement was so contagious! Afterward, I heard that was the first time a kid had ever done that. This moment means a lot to me, particularly as a female conductor from Latin America. Today I think if each concert I conduct I can inspire such excitement in just one child, then my mission is truly fulfilled.

Link to Alexandra’s website

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Following our March 8th unveiling of our Final Four Music Director Candidates, we’ve embarked on a four-week journey to acquaint ourselves with each candidate individually. All were posed with the same three questions. We hope you’ll enjoy reading their replies and gain a deeper insight into their personalities. For this second week, we will focus on Robert Kahn.

• What do you love most about conducting?

For me, the ultimate joy of conducting is to study great works from a wide range of repertoire, and to collaborate with musicians to share the beauty of these works with audiences.

• What inspired you to pursue a career in conducting?

Growing up, I had two passions: clarinet and physics. Studying both subjects as an undergraduate student, I found my ultimate passion in conducting. Like physics, conducting involves detailed analysis, finding connections, and uncovering fundamental laws. What makes conducting even more special is that it is a creative process that involves working with musicians toward the shared goal of inspiring audiences.

• Can you share a memorable or unexpected moment you’ve experienced while conducting?

One memorable moment came during a dark time for the world: the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. While I was still a fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music, with students scattered across the world in lockdown, I decided to create a tribute video to healthcare workers. With students contributing from their homes, we performed an arrangement I made of America the Beautiful, which started with one instrument and gradually added more. The response from this video was both unexpected and incredibly touching, and taught me about the power of communicating through music. (Video here). 

Link to Robert’s website

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Following our March 8th unveiling of our Final Four Music Director Candidates, we embark on a four-week journey to acquaint ourselves with each candidate individually. All were posed with the same three questions. We hope you’ll enjoy reading their replies and gain a deeper insight into their personalities. Beginning this week, we shine the spotlight on Fawzi Haimor.

• What do you love most about conducting?

Being a conductor places me in the center of an incredible collaborative relationship.  One aspect of a conductor’s job, and what I love most about the profession, is to function as a bridge between the orchestra and the audience.  My role is to offer an initial interpretation of any given piece and not to dictate my sole vision.  There are instances when I have been on the podium expecting to hear the music in a certain way, yet a musician in the orchestra will present a different idea.  By remaining open-minded and listening to what the musicians in the orchestra have to offer allows us to merge all of our ideas together into one unique interpretation of the work, creating an experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else but for our audience that evening.

• What inspired you to pursue a career in conducting?

From a young age, I was always torn between the worlds of science and music.  Initially, I was all set to travel down the typical pre-med route, studying exhaustively for the MCATs, applying for med schools, and anxiously awaiting interview invitations. Yet I found myself playing violin in orchestra, watching endless videos of famous conductors, and always setting aside books on organic chemistry to pick up any orchestral score I could get my hands on.  Over time, I came to the simple realization that I was in love with music.  I loved music so deeply that I had to find a way to share that love with others. As time went by, I became fascinated by how a collection of instruments, all sounding completely different, could magically come together to create a beautiful all-encompassing world.  How could one person stand on a podium and, without making a sound, guide a group of incredibly talented musicians to produce a shared vision of a piece for an audience that is eagerly waiting to hear it?  I became both obsessed and inspired and knew that conducting was all I wanted to do.  As artists on stage, we are not making music simply to make music; if we do our job correctly, we have the opportunity to take a moment in time and have an impact on people’s lives.  I had to be a part of it.

• Can you share a memorable or unexpected moment you’ve experienced while conducting?

Recently, I was conducting the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a program memorializing the city of Christchurch’s mosque attacks on March 15, 2019, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect.  The entire country was recalling what is known as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days,” and I was asked to co-program and conduct a multi-city tour throughout the country.  Rehearsals were underway, and all was well musically, but I was uncertain about how the public would receive these concerts.  Throughout the week, though, members of the community of all backgrounds and religions embraced our effort as we stood in solidarity with the families who had lost loved ones.  In turn, we performed to near sold-out concerts as the public came in droves, including a large number of audience members who had never seen or heard an orchestra before.   Our concerts truly brought a nation together and gave them an opportunity to heal and find comfort.  I’ve realized that as a conductor, we have the rare opportunity not only to make incredible music but also to make genuine, lasting relationships.  Wherever I go to conduct, I meet people whom I’ll remain in contact with for the rest of my life, which is why I’m so grateful for what I do.

Link to Fawzi’s website

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At just 33 years old, conductor Kyle Dickson has already made a name for himself in the world of music. Raised in Detroit, he discovered a passion for classical music at an early age and became an accomplished violinist, but eventually switched his focus to conducting. Dickson is also a recent Salonen Conducting Fellow with the San Francisco Symphony and the Colburn School under the guidance of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. In September 2023, he started his new position as Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

When did you decide to become a professional musician?
Did you ever consider other career options?

Even after I had fallen in love with music when I was in the 8th grade, I was still toggling back and forth. For a moment, I wanted to be a politician because some of my family is really involved in Detroit politics. And I was a really big science nerd, so for a minute, I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon or do something with kids like pediatrics. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school after I’d been taking violin lessons for about a year and a half, that I realized I couldn’t be happy doing anything other than music.

Did you ever consider going into another genre of music besides classical?

I grew up in Detroit surrounded by many different types of music that resonated with me like Motown, hip hop, and R&B, but classical music took a completely different role in my life than any other genre. I’m an only child, so I always wanted to be a part of a team, and classical music seemed to offer that in spades — the communal aspect of it, being able to perform with others. That’s what really captivated me.

What was it like studying with Esa-Pekka Salonen?

He is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and intentional musicians that I have had the pleasure to work with. Every single rehearsal was a real master class, and being able to see how he interacts with the artists was truly wonderful. It was such a blessing to work with a musician of that caliber, to hear his thoughts about music, and to really just see what he does. It was truly an experience that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else.

You have worked with a variety of non-classical artists and groups, such as the chamber ensemble D-Composed, Common, Chance the Rapper, and John Legend. What drew you to that?

Classical musicians used to just perform in their little boxes and not know anything about other genres, and that was okay. But nowadays, people are moving towards the idea of musicians having many eclectic influences to draw from. And since I grew up in Detroit around Motown and hip hop, and I play the violin, I love being able to marry those genres.

You have worked with many youth orchestras and have been involved with teaching and helping Black and brown students get more exposed to classical music. What motivates you to do that?

I was really fortunate because I had the Sphinx Organization, which was based right in Detroit, where I was exposed to this wonderful art form. That sort of representation at point-blank range was all the inspiration that I needed to see myself in this field and to be inspired. So, I want to pass that forward and provide opportunities to students who might not have seen classical music as a viable career path for them. That’s really important to me and is something that will always be at the forefront of what I do professionally.

What do you think it takes to be a good conductor?

First and foremost, a good conductor needs to be a good leader and a person who can keep the big picture in mind for everyone. You have to have a very clear vision that you can draw everyone into and convince them to agree upon. It’s really paramount that you care about the music. The best conductors are detail-oriented and can change the sound of an orchestra because of the way they prepare.

What do you like to do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or interests that might surprise people?

Cooking is my new favorite hobby, and that might surprise people because I’m not a particularly good cook. But I love cooking with my partner. He is a fabulous cook, and I have learned a ton from him.

Is there anything else that you do that might surprise people?

I like to crochet. I used to crochet a lot when I was in Chicago and an undergrad at college. I was introduced to it in middle school, and it became a way for me to de-stress. I love the sensation of crocheting. It’s a centering activity for me.

Do you have any new projects coming up?

I just won a grant for a project I came up with called Music Represents, which will be launching fairly soon. A narrator will depict the stories of five Black composers — William Grant Still, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Joseph Bologne (aka Chevalier de St Georges), and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor — over a chamber ensemble. We will be commissioning a composer to write the piece and a librettist. The idea is that this piece becomes a part of the canon and helps to spread the word about Black classical composers that many people hadn’t heard of. It will premiere in Detroit, and I will be conducting it.

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Ani Bukujian, Marin Symphony Concertmaster

Appointed June 2023

It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Ani Bukujian, an esteemed alumna of Juilliard and San Francisco Conservatory, as the new Concertmaster for the Marin Symphony. Her selection marks a significant milestone in the orchestra’s 70+ year history, as Ani becomes only the third violinist to hold this esteemed position, following in the footsteps of Jeremy Constant who stepped down in 2022.

Ani Bukujian was born into a musical family and started playing the violin at two and a half years old. When her grandmother gifted her with a toy violin, she would stand in front of the television while imitating famous violinists, such as Sarah Chang and Itzhak Perlman. Ani studied with her father exclusively until the age of 15. A native of Los Angeles, she won numerous musical competitions, including three gold medals at the World Championship of Performing Arts, first place at the Bach Competition, the ASTA Annual National Solo Competition, and the Pasadena String Festival. At the age of 7, she was a solo performer in her debut concert with a chamber orchestra at the Alex Theatre in California. Ani was also part of the Viva-Vivaldi All-Girl Orchestra in Washington, DC, being the youngest 1st violin in the orchestra. At the age of 8, she was asked to perform a solo piece with the Bakersfield Symphony, where she played one of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Summer). As an AGBU scholarship recipient, she performed at Weill Recital Hall in her freshman year at The Juilliard School in 2012.

She has recently performed as a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. She has served as Concertmistress in the Miami Summer Music Festival, where she played the solo of Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra. She has also participated in other festivals, such as Bowdoin Music Festival and Fontainebleau Festival in France. She has performed in venues such as David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie’s Stern, Zankel, and Weill Hall as a chamber and orchestral musician as well as a solo performer. Ani has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Kim Kashkashian, Ian Swensen, and Dimitri Murrath and participated in masterclasses with teachers including Andres Cardenes, Aaron Rosand, Ruggiero Ricci, Abraham Shtern, Gerard Poulet, Dmitry Berlinsky, Ida Haendel and Pamela Frank among others. She holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Lewis Kaplan and Laurie Smukler.

After moving from New York to San Francisco, she attended the San Francisco Conservatory, where she studied with the concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, Alexander Barantschik. Ani is now the Principal Second Violinist of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra.

The post Meet Ani Bukujian, Marin Symphony’s New Concertmaster appeared first on Marin Symphony.

Leader Wraps Up 22-Year Run:
Marin IJ Article 4/22/23

Alasdair Neale's Final Season:
SF Chronicle Article 4/18/23

Maestro Neale's Final Bows:
SF Classical Voice Article 4/17/23

Alasdair Neale, Music Director of the Marin Symphony since 2001, is announcing that after two more concert seasons, he will end his tenure with the Symphony upon the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season. Maestro Neale shared, “The last two decades leading the Marin Symphony have been filled with joyous musical experiences, wonderful friendships and treasured memories on and off the podium.  I’m so grateful for the enduring passion and commitment of the orchestra, the warmth of our audiences, and the generous support of our patrons.” Read the full press release here 

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Over the past six years, our Education and Community Engagement programs were led and developed by Jenny Douglass, who also serves as Principal Violist for the Symphony. Jenny did such amazing work creating energized and vital programs that the role grew into a full-time position. We’re keeping it in the family, as Jenny is succeeded by Andrei Gorchov, who has been managing our Marin Symphony Youth Performance programs for many years. Andrei is already doing great things in the youth and outreach arenas, and he’s just getting started. Read below to learn more about Andrei’s background and the positive influence of early music instruction.

Marin County public school music programs and the Marin Symphony Youth Programs were life-changing for the Marin Symphony’s new Director of Education and Community Engagement, Andrei Gorchov.

“I was given a flute and introduced to music in the 4th grade at Edna Maguire Elementary School in Mill Valley when I was 9 years old. I played in school bands for the next eight years at Hall Middle School and Redwood High School. When I was 15, I joined the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra and never looked back. Through music, I felt my life already had great meaning, focus, sense of accomplishment, and like-minded friends. I found that music helped my academics and social environment as well.”

After completing a degree in flute performance at San Francisco State University, Andrei began teaching flute privately and working for the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra as Associate Conductor and Manager.

“I really connected with music and felt that it was something I could pursue for my entire life. It engages curiosity, problem solving, working closely with others, and forming important bonds. There is the wonderful gratification of accomplishment, and the music itself is incredibly fun. The only thing better than enjoying a great performance is feeling that connection with an audience and your fellow performers.

“Education always played an important role in my relationship with music. My music teachers were incredibly generous people and gave such a wonderful gift to me. I have always felt grateful for this and inspired to continue that tradition. My parents were longtime educators and administrators for the Tamalpais Union High School District, so I grew up feeling a strong connection to the inner workings of a school, beyond the normal student/school relationship. I am grateful that Marin County prioritizes music education and that the programs that I was fortunate enough to participate in still exist here. There is more work to be done; one of my missions here is to make these opportunities available to all students in Marin and not just some.

“A favorite memory in the Marin Symphony Youth Programs was created when the Youth Orchestra presented a community concert at an elementary school. We were playing Bizet’s Carmen Suite and during the Toreador (bullfight) movement I found myself dressed up as a bull, and leading the orchestra. I am sure the packed room of families (and the youth orchestra) had never seen anything like that. It was great fun, and that’s part of music.”

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