Santa Rosa Symphony’s New Music Director Bruno Ferrandis Conducts Season Opener Oct. 14, 15 & 16

Cliburn medalist Joyce Yang is guest pianist

News Release Contact:

Sara Obuchowski, (707) 546-7097 ext 218

September 12, 2006

(SANTA ROSA, CA) –The Santa Rosa Symphony’s new maestro, Bruno Ferrandis, conducts the Symphony’s 79th season opening concerts on October 14, 15 and 16 at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. The 46-year-old Ferrandis steps onto the podium for the first time as SRS music director with a program of irrepressible energy: Shostakovich’s celebratory Festive Overture, the 4th Symphony of Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Joining Ferrandis in her debut with SRS is 20-year-old pianist, Joyce Yang, silver medal winner in the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

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The Symphony’s board of directors named Ferrandis, currently of Paris, France, as music director after an intensive two-year process and with a unanimous decision of the search committee. The Symphony will be well-served by his twenty years of conducting experience, which began at Juilliard and has continued through appearances with some of the world’s great opera companies and the finest orchestras of Europe and Asia. Ferrandis is only the fourth conductor to hold the SRS music director position, following Jeffrey Kahane, Corrick Brown and George Trombley. After the October concert set, Ferrandis will return to conduct in January and again in May 2007. He will be in Santa Rosa permanently in the 2007-2008 season.

Joyce Yang attends The Juilliard School, where she received Presidential Honors and has won several concerto competitions. At the age of 19 and as the youngest entrant, she won the silver medal at the Cliburn competition, and has appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Houston, Knoxville, Decatur and Albany symphonies, the Long Island Philharmonic and the Reno Philharmonic. The San Antonio Express News called her “a colorist with a seemingly endless palette.”

The October 14, 15 and 16 performances of the Santa Rosa Symphony 2006-2007 Classical Series are underwritten by Holly and Henry Wendt. Bruno Ferrandis’ appearance is underwritten by Norma and Evert Person, and Joyce Yang is the Ruth Finley Person Memorial Artist. Performance times are Saturday and Monday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. Conversations with the Conductor begin in the concert hall one hour prior to performances.

The popular Discovery Series of open rehearsals continues at 2 p.m. on October 14 These concerts, priced at $10 for adults and $6 for youth, offer a sneak peek into the final rehearsal process before each concert set.

Call (707) 546-8742 for tickets or visit the Symphony Box Office on the first floor of the North Coast Bank building at 50 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets are also available online at www.santarosasymphony.com.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door 1½ hours before each performance on a space-available basis. Single tickets are $27-50, with senior discounts available. $10 Student Rush tickets (to students showing school I.D.) can be purchased a half hour prior to curtain.