Interlochen announces Cristian Măcelaru, Gemma New, and Christian Reif as conductors for Summer 2021 season
Măcelaru, New, and Reif will each lead one program with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra for Interlochen’s 2021 Summer season
Interlochen Arts Camp is pleased to announce the conductors and concertmasters for the 2021 World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Interlochen Philharmonic, World Youth Wind Symphony, and Interlochen Wind Ensemble.
The Camp’s flagship ensemble, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, will be led by six acclaimed conductors. Three Primo Artists conductors will be featured: Gemma New, Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Christian Reif, former Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, and our very own Grammy Award-winning Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Cristian Măcelaru, also Music Director of the Orchestre National de France and Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester.
The guest conductors and their performance dates are:
July 4: Cristian Măcelaru
July 11: Larry Rachleff
July 18: Christian Reif
July 25: JoAnn Falletta
Aug. 1: Gemma New
Aug. 8: Jung-Ho Pak
For details regarding the application, click here.
Last year, Cristian Măcelaru was named the inaugural Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO) at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
“Cristi’s palpable joy for music-making and high artistic standards consistently bring out the very best in our emerging young musicians,” Interlochen Center for the Arts President Trey Devey said. “He is the ideal leader and artist to take our summer orchestral program to new heights.”
A conductor of international renown, Măcelaru is the newly appointed Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester, and Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. In this newly created role, Măcelaru will lead the artistic development of Interlochen’s summer orchestra program, advise on repertoire selection, and help recruit guest conductors, soloists, and summer music faculty. He will also conduct WYSO and work with other large ensembles at Interlochen Arts Camp during a week-long residency.
Măcelaru’s appointment is the latest in a series of major investments in the music program at Interlochen. Last fall, Interlochen unveiled a $24 million state-of-the-art Music Center that seamlessly integrates top-notch acoustical engineering with expansive rehearsal halls; spacious teaching, recording, and practice studios; and lounge areas to foster and encourage student and faculty collaboration.
“Interlochen was where I learned to dream,” Măcelaru said. “It taught me and countless others to have the audacity to believe in the impossible. But most importantly, it gave us the tools needed to achieve our goals. I find myself reminded of this every time I return to Interlochen. The desire to help inspire other young musicians to define their dreams, and help them fulfill their potential, has remained with me since my graduation 20 years ago. With this goal in mind I join my illustrious colleagues at Interlochen. Together, we will continue forging a path where our young artists can learn the language that unites us all—the arts.”
Măcelaru performs regularly at the podium of the best American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra—an orchestra he has conducted more than 100 times. In Europe, he regularly conducts the Bayerischen Rundfunk Symphonieorchester, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Czech Philharmonic, and BBC Symphony Orchestra.