Conductor Eric Garcia takes the baton to lead the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 5.
On March 10th and 11th, the Boise Philharmonic continues its year-long search process and welcomes the sixth of seven candidates competing to fill the position of Music Director.
Conductor Eric Garcia, who currently serves as Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Conducting at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University, will take the baton and lead the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra on March 10 and 11. This all Russian concert opens with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, which is a vibrant and incredibly exciting work, followed by Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto featuring the concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra, David Kim. The program concludes with Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, a favorite work of the symphonic repertoire. It is one of Prokofiev’s most inspired and grand creations. In a span of just 45 minutes, Prokofiev provides us with an immense musical canvas of grandeur and heroism, relentless humor and satire, mystery and sensuousness, and raucous jubilance.
Concerts begin at 8:00 pm on Friday, March 10 at NNU Brandt Center and Saturday, March 11 at the Morrison Center in Boise. Tickets prices start as low as $21 plus tax and fees. Call the Boise Philharmonic offices at 344-7849 or choose your seats online at boisephil.org.
Audience members can further enhance their musical knowledge and enjoyment of this performance by attending “Musically Speaking” at 7:00 pm before each concert. This lively, pre-concert conversation hosted by Jamey Lamar is designed to provide insight into the composers and works to be performed as well as their social and historical impact. Attendance is free to all concert ticket holders and is encouraged.
“Backstage with the Artist” provides another opportunity for music lovers to delve deeper into the music. Join the Boise Philharmonic Friday, March 10 at 12:00-1:00pm in the Philharmonic rehearsal Hall located at the Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy for a stimulating conversation with the Music Director candidate, Boise Philharmonic musicians, and guest artist. Admission is free.
About Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia currently serves as Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Conducting at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. He concurrently serves as Interim Conductor of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, where he supervises and trains 350 students and 11 ensembles. In addition to his artistic responsibilities, his position requires overseeing programming, budgeting, fund raising, regional and national developing tours, student recruitment, marketing, and leading an annual concerto competition.
Prior to joining OSU, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, working closely with then-music director Gerard Schwarz, and conducting the orchestra in subscription concerts, education concerts, popular culture outreach activities and other special events. He served as producer of recordings on the Naxos label, and collaborated with a diverse array of guest artists beyond the classical repertoire, including Herbie Hancock, Indigo Girls, Pink Martini and Garrison Keillor. Garcia has served as cover conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and will serve as cover conductor this summer at the acclaimed Aspen Music Festival.
Garcia previously served as Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Evansville, Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and Director of Orchestras at St. Xavier University. Garcia has served as guest conductor and clinician for high school orchestras throughout the country. An avid conductor of contemporary music, Garcia has premiered numerous compositions and worked directly with such esteemed composers as John Adams, Sergio Assad, George Crumb, David Lang, and Lowell Lieberman. In 2014, he served on faculty at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy. Garcia was a recipient of the Bruno Walter Foundation Scholarship. He has attended the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Garcia received a Doctorate of Music and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University. The summer of 2016 marks Garcia’s return to the Eastern Music Festival, having previously served as Assistant Conductor to two student orchestras encompassing more than 200 gifted young musicians.
About David Kim
Violinist David Kim was named concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School.
Highlights of Mr. Kim’s 2015-16 season included teaching/performance residencies at Oberlin College, Bob Jones University, and the Boston Conservatory; continued appearances as concertmaster of the All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the United States and online at the Kahn Academy; recitals, speaking engagements, and appearances with orchestras across the United States; performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni and the Orchestra under the baton of Donald Runnicles; and the launching of the first annual David Kim Orchestral Institute of Cairn University in Philadelphia.
Mr. Kim appears as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra each season as well as with numerous orchestras around the world. He also appears internationally at such festivals as Grand Teton, Brevard, MasterWorks (US), and Pacific (Japan).
Mr. Kim has been awarded honorary doctorates from Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, the University of Rhode Island, and Dickinson College. His instruments are a J.B. Guadagnini from Milan, ca. 1757, on loan from The Philadelphia Orchestra, and a Michael Angelo Bergonzi from Cremona, ca. 1754. Mr. Kim resides in a Philadelphia suburb with his wife, Jane, and daughters, Natalie and Maggie. He is an avid runner, golfer, and outdoorsman.
About the Music Director Search Process
The Boise Philharmonic’s year-long quest for new artistic leadership is spearheaded by the Music Director Search Committee. The Committee is composed of 6 musicians chosen by the orchestra from within its ranks, and 6 board members and other community leaders. Over 200 applications were received from conductors across the United States and from 22 countries around the world. The Committee carefully screened these applications, assessing the candidates’ credentials and how their expertise melded with the artistic vision of the Boise Philharmonic. This winnowing process eventually produced 16 semi-finalists, and after carefully checking references and interviewing each candidate, the seven finalists were chosen.
During every candidate’s week in Boise, they will be intensively interviewed and assessed by the orchestra, Philharmonic staff, members of the audience, and the Search Committee itself. As an audience member, you can offer your opinions via a printed ballot inserted in the program book, on the BPA website, or by using your smart phone to click on the QR Code linking directly to our online ballot.
We have seven amazing and gifted Music Director candidates. The choice between them will not be easy, but with everyone’s input, the Boise Philharmonic will welcome its new Music Director for the 2017-18 season!
About Boise Philharmonic
As one of the region’s premier arts organization, the Boise Philharmonic’s mission is to musically enrich, entertain and educate through community engagement and music performance of the highest level. The Boise Philharmonic performs for more than 50,000 people annually in concerts at the Morrison Center, Brandt Auditorium in Nampa, various schools, and smaller recital halls and venues. The 80 member professional orchestra performs 16 Classic Series and 6 Chamber Series concerts per season. For more information, visit boisephil.org.
