Auburn Symphony names 3 finalists for new music director

The search started in February. Auburn Symphony Music Director and Conductor Peter Jaffe had recently announced he would be stepping down at the end of the 2020-21 season, his ninth. Immediately, the symphony board authorized the creation of an ad-hoc search committee of eight people to begin the task of finding a new leader for the 32-year-old symphony. "After posting the job description on multiple state and national job sites for the arts, the original March 31 deadline for applications was extended to April 30 following the global pandemic," said Patty Wassum, search committee chair and symphony board member. "The search yielded 52 applicants, some from out of the country." After evaluating the résumés in depth and reviewing many conducting videos, the committee compiled a short list of seven semifinalists. Through video conferencing, in-person interviews were conducted with the full committee. "At the end of the process that included extensive reference checks, three finalists were unanimously elevated by all members of the search committee and ultimately approved by the board of directors," Wassum said. Here are the three finalists: Sergey Bogza Known as being innovative, energetic, engaging and entertaining, Sergey Bogza is the music director and conductor of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra and a full-time faculty member at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Bogza is widely credited with fostering the orchestra's exceptional artistic growth. The Russia-born conductor is also a composer of symphonic and chamber music, works he has conducted in many enthusiastically received premieres. His engagements as a guest conductor with orchestras, ballet companies and festivals have taken him across the U.S. and Europe. Collaborating on music and dance productions here and abroad, he's known for his nurturing quality and professional-level approach with young artists. From Taganrog, Russia, Bogza emigrated to the U.S. in 1995. In 2014, he was awarded a Doctorate degree in Conducting summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota. https://sergeybogza.com/about/ Ryan Murray Widely praised for his tireless work ethic, natural poise and impassioned performances, Ryan Murray is the associate conductor of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra and artistic director and conductor of Music in the Mountains. He's also the newly appointed conductor for the Sacramento Youth Symphony's premier orchestra and music director of Opera Modesto. Murray enjoys a wide range of performance genres, including traditional orchestral and operatic repertoire, pops performances and contemporary American operatic works. A winner of the Vienna Philharmonic's prestigious Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors in 2014, Murray won the 2017 American Prize in Opera Conducting. He's a current finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting. Murray holds degrees, summa cum laude, in Bassoon Performance and Voice Performance from CSU Sacramento and holds a Master's degree, with distinction, in Music Business from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. http://www.ryanjmurray.com/about.html Scott Seaton American conductor Scott Seaton has been praised for possessing "finesse, clarity and precision" by the Luxembourg Times and has left audiences "breathless," according to Entertainment News Northwest. Seaton is in his sixth season as music director of the North State Symphony in Northern California, where he has garnered acclaim for his dynamic performances, innovative programming and community and youth outreach. Since his international debut in 2007 with the Orchestre Philharmonique, Seaton has conducted orchestras across North America, South America and Europe. An enthusiastic advocate of contemporary music, Seaton has conducted numerous premieres in the past several years. He appeared on New Music for the Sonically Curious, a series of performances in Boston devoted to works of New England composers. He has worked with the New York City-based Mimesis, an ensemble dedicated to the music of living composers. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Seaton earned a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the Universitè de Montrèal and degrees from the New England Conservatory and Vanderbilt University. http://scott-seaton.com/biography/ Each candidate will be asked to program repertoire, rehearse with the orchestra for two weeks and conduct an afternoon concert at the Auburn Symphony's primary concert hall at Placer High School. "The concerts will be presented when timing is appropriate to allow the musicians, staff and public to gather safely for performances, hopefully in spring or summer 2021," Wassum said. "Although dates cannot be set at this time, plans will include ample opportunity for Auburn Symphony music lovers to hear and get to know the finalists so they can share their impressions and thoughts with the board of directors."