ASO to Form Search Committee this Spring
The Asheville Symphony announced Tuesday that Music Director and Conductor Daniel Meyer will conclude his tenure with the ASO following the 2017-18 season. In 2015, Meyer signed a contract extension, which includes conducting a full 2016-17 season and a reduced schedule in 2017-18.
Meyer, who is in his 11th season with the ASO, has led the organization through a period of unmatched artistic growth in his continuing commitment to the rich arts life of Asheville. The ASO has expanded its audience and reach, supports a biennial Asheville Amadeus festival, executes a thriving education and community engagement program, and has gained a national reputation for its artistic initiatives.
“Daniel Meyer has guided the Asheville Symphony to new heights, and we are lucky to have had him in Asheville for as long as we have,” said ASO Board President Irene Stoll. “More than ever, the Asheville community is engaged with the Symphony, and we credit Daniel’s energy, creativity and spirit for that achievement. We thank him for his dedication to our organization.”
“I am deeply proud of the talented and dedicated musicians of the Asheville Symphony and of the bond we have formed both artistically and personally over my tenure,” Meyer said. “Together we have attracted and can now boast a committed, passionate following who can appreciate and support adventurous programming alongside beautifully performed core repertoire.”
The ASO will undergo a search process to find the orchestra’s next music director, with the goal of having that person in place in 2019. Guest conductors will appear as part of the search for some concerts during upcoming seasons. A search committee will be announced later this year and will include ASO musicians, board members and general community members.
The Asheville Symphony will celebrate Meyer’s tenure in 2016-17 with programming that includes an all-Tchaikovsky celebration, a New Year’s Eve performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, an all-American program including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and a season-finale concert that includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.
“I will miss the wonderful musicians and audience members who have been such an integral part of my tenure with the ASO,” Meyer said. “I fully expect these next two seasons as music director to celebrate what we have achieved together in Asheville, and point us towards continued success.”
Meyer has developed new Young People’s programs for thousands of area schoolchildren, appears as a regular guest on WCQS radio, and frequently presents to local schools and civic clubs. His Symphony Talks at UNCA’s Reuter Center are popular community events, during which he previews the upcoming concert. During Meyer’s tenure he has championed works of highly regarded contemporary composers and has invited a range of soloists from rising stars to those of an international caliber.
Meyer also serves as the music director of the Erie Philharmonic and Artistic Director of the Westmoreland Symphony. He began the 2015-16 season leading concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and the Wuerttembergische Philharmonie in Germany, followed by concerts with the Tonkuenstler Orchestra in Vienna and a return to the Pittsburgh Symphony. In the spring, Meyer returns to the Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra to lead performances in Vienna and Salzburg.
“I am so fortunate to have had Daniel in place as music director when I arrived in Asheville three years ago,” Asheville Symphony Executive Director David Whitehill said. “He is one of the reasons I came here, and it was clear from when I first arrived what he has meant to our organization and our community. He has been a wonderful and inspirational partner to work with. Daniel is a highly sought-after conductor with multiple orchestras nationally and internationally, and I am certain the next stage of his career will bring him exciting new challenges and opportunities.”
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra performs and promotes symphonic music for the benefit, enjoyment and education of the people of Western North Carolina. The ASO presents concerts in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville’s U.S. Cellular Center. Related organizations include the Asheville Symphony Guild, Asheville Symphony Chorus, Asheville Symphonettes, and education initiatives such as the Asheville Buncombe Youth Orchestra, Music in the Schools, MusicWorks!, Spotlight on Young Musicians, Symphony Talk and pre-concert lectures.