Music Director Search Update

Update: Music Director Search

As of December 31, 2022, our beloved Music Director of more than forty years, Maestro Jere Lantz, will retire.

Early last spring, the Rochester Symphony Board of Directors developed a search committee tasked with finding a panel of candidates. The committee has been searching for the most qualified candidates to serve the Rochester community and take the Rochester Symphony into the future.

Knowing that replacing someone of Maestro Lantz’s caliber would be no easy feat–especially since we have had decades to grow in appreciation of him–the committee has been hard at work receiving applications and reviewing conducting videos. When we received a large number of applications from an impressive set of conductors, it became clear we would find an amazing Music Director for Rochester Symphony’s future. At this stage, it has become difficult to narrow down the options to select just one who will be the right match. We will need your help. Please look forward to joining concerts next season so that you can weigh in on each candidate in our post-concert surveys.

Director Search Timeline

• Summer 2022: Received applications and reviewed candidate submissions
• Fall 2022: Interviewing candidates with intention to select 3-5 final candidates to be invited to conduct a concert in the 2023/2024 season
• October 2023 through April 2024: Host final candidates to prepare and conduct one concert each, meet with leadership, and participate in educational programming
• Spring 2024: Announce Rochester Symphony’s next Music Director

From the President/CEO

Dear Friends & Supporters,

With interviews underway, we are on track to schedule candidate finalists for the 2023/2024 concert season. In the meantime, we are fortunate that St. Olaf legend, Steven Amundson, will be conducting our February and March concerts as an interim/guest conductor to fill out the current season.

As Jere nears his well-earned retirement, there is one more concert set for you to connect with him. On December 10 and 11 we will be performing the full canon of Jere Lantz Christmas music arrangements–we are not entirely biased when we say they’re some of the best out there! Finally, plans are starting for a celebration of Jere’s impact on music in Rochester to occur in spring 2023 after he’s officially done. We’ll keep you updated on when that will happen and what it will look like.

In the meantime, if you have a specific memory from Jere’s time with the Rochester Symphony, we’d love to hear it! Please email us your thoughts and photos. We will collect them and add them to our website.

Sincerely,
Amy Lindstrom