Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra to audition five conductors for MD position

The Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra has announced five finalist candidates, who will be vying to become the orchestra's next Music Director (Huw Edwards resigned from the position in 2011). Each candidate will conduct concerts in the 2013-2014 season.

Here's the list of candidates and next season's schedule:

• James Fellenbaum (Oct 11 and 13, 2013) with soloist Jun Iwasaki, former Oregon Symphony Concertmaster
• Scott Seaton (October 26, 2013) with Tears of Joy Theatre and Portland Symphonic Girlchoir
• Steven Byess (Nov 22 & 24, 2013) with soloist JáTtik Clark, Principal Tuba of the Oregon Symphony
• Jeffery Meyer (March 7 and 9, 2014) with pianist Stephen Beus
• Peter Shannon (May 2 and 4, 2014) with soloists Oregon Symphony Concertmaster Sarah Kwak and her husband Vali Phillips. 

The orchestra received 151 applications last fall and a search committee composed of players and board members narrowed the field to a short list of ten in May.

Executive Director Betsy Hatton acknowledges that “Portland seems to be a highly desirable destination for conductors. Each of these finalists had done considerable research about Portland and about us, before we interviewed them, and many asked intelligent and probing questions. We’re very excited about this outstanding group of highly competent and engaging musicians.”