Philadelphia Orchestra looking at conductor candidates

'Music director" isn't the only part of the Philadelphia Orchestra's artistic masthead in flux; the entire conducting staff is undergoing a transition.

Associate conductor Rossen Milanov steps down at the end of the 2010-11 season in August, after 11 seasons, and assistant conductor Danail Rachev left last month after two.

Now the orchestra is focused on two candidates for its assistant-conducting slot, both of whom will lead family concerts here this season.

The conductors, although the orchestra declined to name them, are Delta David Gier, music director of the South Dakota Symphony, and Romanian-born conductor Cristian Macelaru.

But orchestra artistic vice president Jeremy Rothman says the process isn't as precisely defined as simply choosing between two candidates.

"It would be unfair to say that at this point we only have two conductors and one of them will get the title of assistant conductor," he said. "What's fair to say is that we're gong through a process that will allow us to broaden our relationships and introduce new people to the orchestra."

The season could end with one, both, or neither of them getting a title, or with the orchestra's assistant-conductor responsibilities being parceled out in some other way, Rothman said.

Milanov started as assistant conductor in 2000. His workload soon increased and he took on the "associate conductor" title, leading holiday and neighborhood concerts and becoming artistic director of the orchestra's Mann Center season.

The orchestra is not seeking to replace him with another associate conductor at this point, says Rothman. Rather, it is generally expanding the roster of guest conductors with an eye toward the future.

"When you get locked into a couple of staff conductors, you see them a lot of the time; so naturally you don't see a lot of other people.

"I'm really trying to identify people's strengths and assets and bring them in at the right time," Rothman said.

The conductor decision dovetails with the organization-wide strategic-planning process, now under way, that will help determine the orchestra's new business plan and artistic direction.

Music director-designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes his full title in two years, with the start of the 2012-13 season, and it's possible he will want to take a mentoring role with the assistant conductors or conduct some of the family and neighborhood concerts himself.

Referring specifically to the possibility of Nézet-Séguin conducting some non-subscription concerts, Rothman said Nézet-Séguin has indicated that "he's very interested in all of the activities the orchestra has to offer."

A number of different titles are used for conductors below the music-director level. Nomenclature isn't universal, but orchestras variously augment the music-director position with a cover conductor, staff conductor, resident conductor, assistant conductor, and/or associate conductor.

Assistant conductors traditionally lead family and education concerts, prepare scores as understudies in case a conductor cancels, and act during rehearsals as the ears of the music director or guest conductor, offering observations on ensemble balance and other matters.

Gier, 50, has been guest conductor of the American Composer's Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Philharmonic, and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has been an active leader in educational projects, frequently leading New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts. A former Fulbright scholar, he lives in Sioux Falls, S.D.

He has developed community programs with indigenous populations in South Dakota, integrating Native American tunes with the Western orchestral tradition.

"When I went to Philadelphia, I gave these examples, and said if you're really interested in exploring how the Philadelphia Orchestra connects with your incredibly diverse community, I'm all about that," said Gier. "I am really, really interested in creating programming like that. Connecting with audiences is something I enjoy. I love when people get it."

Macelaru, 30, who is based in Houston, holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and two master's degrees from Rice University - one in violin, the other in conducting. He played in the Houston Symphony's first-violin section for two seasons and is to make his Houston Grand Opera debut this fall, conducting four of nine performances of Madame Butterfly.

He already has been engaged by the Philadelphia Orchestra as a cover conductor, sitting in on rehearsals last season and preparing for the possibility of taking over concerts at the last minute should the scheduled conductor be unable to perform.

Conducting the orchestra, as he did in his audition, was "everything I dreamed it could be. Please, just don't think this is flattery - it really is one of the most special orchestras I've ever collaborated with. The musicians are so responsive and willing to collaborate, and that doesn't happen so often."

Rothman said he expected some decision on the conducting staff's configuration by the end of the 2010-11 season.