The Aspen Music Festival and School has named Robert Spano its next Music Director, stating that he will assume duties as “music director-designate” effective immediately and take on the full role of music director in 2012.

In addition, Spano will become co-director of the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, taking on the director position as of 2012. In 63 years of Aspen Music Festival and School, Spano will be only its fourth long term director.

President and CEO Alan Fletcher said AMFS was “looking for someone with a vision, not just for Aspen, but more broadly for classical music.” With a decade at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under his belt, Spano won the votes of Aspen’s search committee through his dedication not only to music but also education.

Spano will lead four concerts this summer with repertoire including Richard Strauss’ “Don Quixote,” Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Vladimir Feltsman, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, and the Barber Violin Concerto with Robert McDuffie. The final concert of the summer 2011 season will feature Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” with vocalists Isabel Bayrakdarian and Sasha Cooke.

Read the full press release from Aspen detailing its outlook on a new era. They also included a fact sheet.

Posted on April 1st, 2011 at 4:23 pm | Filed under General |