Press Release: Spartanburg Philharmonic embraces change in 2021-22
Music Director Stefan Sanders concludes contract
94th Season will feature guest conductors, premieres and new collaborations
Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg Philharmonic today announced several changes for the upcoming 2021-22 season, most significant that Music Director Stefan Sanders’s tenure with the orchestra will conclude at the end of the 2020-21 season.
President of the Board Chip McLeod stated, “Music Director Stefan Sanders’s tenure as Spartanburg Philharmonic’s Music Director will conclude at the end of June 2021. During his time with us, Stefan has contributed to the continuation of our mission to enrich, inspire, and educate through live performances of high-quality music. He stands with his predecessors in leading the orchestra in high caliber performances of our established series, continuing our history in Spartanburg and the surrounding area. Please join us in wishing him well.”
Executive Director Kathryn Boucher said, “We thank Stefan for his work over the past three seasons as a member of our storied orchestra family and celebrate his passion for classical music.”
“The past three years have been memorable,” said Maestro Sanders. “It has been an incredible experience to bring the gift of music to the Spartanburg area, to get to know the people of this community and to celebrate with them the beauty of our art form. It has been my honor to become a part of this almost 100-year-old orchestra.”
Sanders will have completed three seasons with the Spartanburg Philharmonic when his contract ends. He continues in his music directorships of the Central Texas Philharmonic and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.
The upcoming live 2021-22 Spartanburg Philharmonic season will feature invited guest conductors. It’s long-standing and popular Zimmerli, Espresso and Bluegrass series continue. Of special note is a collaboration with Ballet Spartanburg for the first time in over 20 years for The Nutcracker; the world premiere of a work by Spartanburg Philharmonic Composer in Residence, Peter B. Kay; performances of Brahm’s Symphony No. 2; the Philharmonic premiere of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1; and an all-John Williams program; the Espresso Series Silent Movie Double Feature of Charlie Chaplin’s The Tramp & Buster Keaton’s One Week; and performances by the Sam Bush Band and powerhouse acoustic duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. Full details on the 2021-22 season, including concert programs, invited guest conductors, and guest soloists will be announced soon.
About Spartanburg Philharmonic
Almost a century old, Spartanburg Philharmonic has its roots in the 1895 May Festival, the precursor of the South Atlantic States Music Festival founded in 1898, and one of only four such festivals featuring orchestras in the United States at that time. Recognized as a pillar of creativity, inspiration and entertainment, Spartanburg Philharmonic is a modern orchestra with a strong foundation in traditional and contemporary music.
As a firm proponent of diversity and inclusion, the Philharmonic is dedicated to creating innovative and exhilarating experiences through memorable performances of well-known and rarely played works by female composers, composers of color, and both established and contemporary composers, for all members of the Spartanburg community and beyond.
An arts organization whose mission is to enrich, inspire, and educate through live performances of high-quality music, the Spartanburg Philharmonic partners with a variety of community, health, and education organizations to provide opportunities for all ages and abilities to enjoy. Amongst the programs are Music Sandwiched In, a free and open to the public lunch hour series; the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestras, offering instrumental music education to students grades 6 through 12 in 16 different schools across three counties; and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Institute’s Link Up program, providing a music curriculum to 4th graders throughout Spartanburg County. www.spartanburgphilharmonic.org
Press Contact:
Kathryn Boucher, Executive Director
864-278-9670
kboucher@spartanarts.org