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FORIMMEDIATERELEASEFebruary13,2018MEDIACONTACTCarrieJonesMeadsDurket619-688-5248cjones@meadsdurket.com

RAFAELPAYARENAMEDNEXTMUSICDIRECTOROFTHESANDIEGOSYMPHONYAcclaimedConductortoServeasMusicDirectorDesignateEffectiveImmediately

SanDiego,Calif.–TheSanDiegoSymphonytodayannouncedinternationallyacclaimedconductorRafaelPayarewillbecometheorchestra’snextmusicdirector.Payarewillbeginafour-yearcontractimmediately,servingasmusicdirectordesignateforthefirstyear,andbegintheroleofmusicdirectoronJuly1,2019.PayarewilldebutattheSanDiegopodiuminhisnewroleJanuary2019,whenhekicksoffthefourthannualSanDiegoSymphonyJanuaryfestival.

AstheSanDiegoSymphony’smusicdirector,Payare–currentlymusicdirectoroftheUlsterOrchestra,principalconductoroftheCastletonFestivalandhonoraryconductorofSinfoniettaCracovia–willsucceedMaestroJahjaLing,whosetenurebeganin2004-05andculminatedinthe2016-17season.Beginninginthe2019-20season,PayarewillconducttheSanDiegoSymphonyfor10weekseachseasonincludingperformancesintheBaysideSummerNightsseasonattheorchestra’ssummerhome.

SincebeingawardedfirstprizeattheMalkoConductingCompetitionin2012,Payareiscelebratedasoneofthemostexcitingconductorsofhisgenerationandhasmadedebutswith:theChicagoSymphonyOrchestra,PittsburghSymphony,CincinnatiSymphony,LosAngelesPhilharmonic,MinnesotaOrchestra,ViennaPhilharmonic,LondonSymphony,RoyalPhilharmonicOrchestra,MunichPhilharmonic,RotterdamPhilharmonic,CityofBirminghamSymphony,OsloPhilharmonic,GothenburgSymphony,SymphonieorchesterdesBayerischenRundfunksandRoyalStockholmPhilharmonicOrchestra,amongstothers.“WhenRafaelconductedtheorchestrainJanuarytherewasadeepconnection,andthemusicalbondandobviouspotentialfortheirrelationshipwasclear,”saidMarthaGilmer,SanDiegoSymphonyCEO.“IfirstheardaboutRafaelPayarebecauseoftheuniquemusicalrelationshiphehadwiththepreeminentconductor,LorinMaazel.Lorinwasanintellectualmusicianwithdiscerningtaste.ThatherecognizedRafael’stalentandinnatemusicianshipwasanaffirmationformeofRafael’sconsiderablegift.Hehastheperfectbalanceofbringingoutthebestinthemusicians,encouragingandleading

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themtoachievemorethantheyimaginepossible.Rafaelhasacalmassuranceonthepodium.Themusiciansspokeoftheirabilitytotakeartisticrisksknowingthathewassecureinhisownvisionandknowledgeofthescore.Icouldnotbemoreexcitedaboutthismusicalpartnership.”AsSanDiegoSymphony’smusicdirector,Payarewillshapethemusicalvisionfortheorchestramovingforward.HisinternationalexperienceandprofilewillattracttheverybestorchestralplayersandguestartiststoSanDiego.Inaddition,hisownpersonalstoryabouttheimportantrolethatmusichasplayedinhislifesupportshisvisiontoreachintothecommunitytofindnewandenduringwaysfortheSanDiegoSymphonytoplayagreaterroleinthevitalityandvibrancyoftheSanDiegocommunityandregion.“Ihadanimmediateconnectionandchemistrywiththeorchestra,”saidPayare.“Therewasnowallbetweenus,onlyadesireandeagernesstotrynewthingswhichIfindveryexciting.GivenwhatweachievedinjustoneweektogetherinJanuary,theskyisthelimit.IamalsoinspiredtocreateanatmosphereofinclusivenessintheSanDiegoregion.IfeelaspecialconnectiontoSanDiego.Igrewuplivingontheedgeofthesea,soIimmediatelyfeltathome.” Bornin1980andagraduateofthecelebratedVenezuelaneducationprogram,ElSistema,Payarebeganhisformalconductingstudiesin2004withJoséAntonioAbreu.HehasconductedallthemajororchestrasinVenezuela,includingtheSimónBolívarOrchestra.HavingalsoservedasprincipalhornoftheSimonBolivarOrchestra,hetookpartinmanyprestigioustoursandrecordingswithconductorsincluding,ClaudioAbbado,LorinMaazel,SirSimonRattleandGiuseppeSinopoli.InMay2012,PayarewasawardedfirstprizeattheMalkoInternationalConductingCompetition,andinJuly2012,hewaspersonallyinvitedbyhismentor,thelateLorinMaazel,toconductatMaazel’sCastletonFestivalinVirginia.ThisledtoacloseassociationandinJuly2015,heacceptedthepositionofPrincipalConductoroftheCastletonFestival.FollowingLorinMaazel’sdeathinJuly2014,RafaelwasinvitedtotakeoverhisscheduledconcertswiththeViennaPhilharmonicinJanuary2015,conductingthreeconcertsattheViennaMusikvereinandtheTheatredesChamps-ElyseesinParisinMaazel'smemory.PayarereturnstoconducttheViennaPhilharmonicinJune2018inViennaandontour.InadditiontotheViennaPhilharmonic,highlightsofhis2017-18seasonincludeperformanceswiththeMahlerChamberOrchestra,theNDRElbphilharmonieOrchester,theCzechPhilharmonic,theOrchestredelaSuisseRomande,theStaatskapelleDresden,theMinnesotaOrchestraandhisBerlinsubscriptiondebutwiththeDeutschesSymphonie-OrchesterBerlin.HewillsooncontinueaBrucknersymphonycyclewiththeAalborgSymphonyOrchestrainDenmark.

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“Thesearchcommitteehasbeenmeetingregularlysince2015toidentifythenextexceptionalleaderforourOrchestra.Iamextremelyproudofthecommittee’sexpertiseanddiligence.Ithasbeenanexcitingprocess,andweareelatedwiththeresult.RafaelPayareisthepersonweunanimouslyfeltcouldlifttheorchestraartistically.Thecommitteecomprisedofmusicians,boardandstaffwereunifiedintheirselectionofRafael,”saidDr.WarrenKessler,SanDiegoSymphonyOrchestraChairmanoftheBoardandSearchCommittee.SamuelHager,chairmanoftheorchestracommittee,memberofthebasssectionandmemberofthesearchcommitteesaid:“Weareverypleasedwiththesearchprocess,whichincludedsignificantinputfromallthemembersoftheorchestra.Astrongandmeaningfulmusicalconnectionwiththeorchestraandtheabilitytoenhancetheorchestra’sartisticgrowthhasalwaysbeenapriorityinchoosingamusicdirector.RafaelPayarebringsahighlevelofenergyandcharismatothepodiumthatreallyengagesthemusicians.Thatcoupledwithhisgenuinemusicalitymakeshimaveryexcitingchoice.WearereallylookingforwardtoworkingwithPayareonthestageandinthecommunityasournewmusicdirector.”Payarewillbecomethe13thmusicdirectorintheSanDiegoSymphony’s108-yearhistory.AbouttheSanDiegoSymphonyFoundedin1910,theSanDiegoSymphonyistheoldestorchestrainCaliforniaandoneofthelargestandmostsignificantculturalorganizationsinSanDiego.TheOrchestraperformsforover250,000peopleeachseason,offeringawidevarietyofprogrammingatitstwomuchlovedvenues,CopleySymphonyHallindowntownSanDiegoandtheEmbarcaderoMarinaParkSouthonSanDiegoBay.Theorchestra’s82full-timemusicians,graduatesofthefinestandmostcelebratedmusicschoolsintheUnitedStatesandabroad,alsoserveastheorchestrafortheSanDiegoOperaeachseason,aswellasperformingatseveralregionalperformingartscenters.Forover30years,theSanDiegoSymphonyhasprovidedcomprehensivemusiceducationandcommunityengagementprogramsreachingmorethan65,000studentsannuallyandbringinginnovativeprogrammingtoSanDiego’sdiverseneighborhoodsandschools.Formoreinformation,visitwww.sandiegosymphony.org.

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