Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has announced David Commanday as Guest Conductor for the opening concert of the 2023-24 season at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Palladium.
Renowned on three continents, Commanday is known for having a vital connection with musicians and audiences. Currently, Commanday is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra, Director of Orchestral Activities and Instructor of Cello at Eastern Illinois University, and Music Director of Youth Music Illinois.
CSO Executive Director Anne Marie Chastain said, “I am pleased that a conductor of David’s experience and musicality will be conducting in Carmel.”
Appearing with the symphony will be pianist Gabriella Martinez performing selections by Beethoven and Mozart plus a commissioned piece by Dr. Caroline Ahn, a Carmel resident and professor at Anderson University.
Commanday has performed with orchestras in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia – among them the Israel Philharmonic, Belgian Radio Orchestra, Vienna Pro Arte Orchestra, Arad Philharmonic, and Singapore NYO. Guest engagements in the U.S. include the National Symphony, the American Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, the South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Boca Raton, Eastern Connecticut, Seattle, Atlanta, Flagstaff, Richmond, and California symphonies.
A graduate of Harvard University, the cellist was a principal at Tanglewood under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Seikji Ozawa, and Aaron Copeland. He has held faculty positions at Harvard, Boston University, and MIT, and is currently an artist in residence and on the adjunct faculty at Eureka College where he has established a program of string and instrumental instruction. He founded the Eureka College Summer Arts Festival, now in its fourth year, and directs a prestigious chamber music series on campus.
You can see the full CSO season schedule at CarmelSymphony.org.
Season tickets for 2023-24 are available at the Palladium Fifth Third Bank Box Office by calling (317) 843-3800 or online at TheCenterPresents.org. Tickets for individual performances are also on sale.