Deseret News on Utah Symphony Music Director Search

The Deseret News had an interesting article about our search for our new music director. You can read the article online:

The search to replace Keith Lockhart as the Utah Symphony’s next music director has been in full swing for quite some time now. But it’s been proceeding quietly, without fanfare or any public announcements. And that is exactly how William H. Nelson believes it should be.

Nelson chairs a 12-member volunteer search committee looking into possible replacements for Lockhart, who steps down as music director in May. Nelson and his colleagues on the committee are committed to taking their time to find the right conductor to lead the Utah Symphony in its post-Lockhart era.

“Our soft goal is to reach a decision by the end of this season,” Nelson told the Deseret News. “But if by that time we haven’t found the right candidate, we won’t take someone we’re not satisfied with. We won’t let that goal stand in our way, and we won’t be forced into any suboptimal position because of any time constraints.”

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The beginning of the article talks a bit about how the search is being conducted “in secret.” From my marketing point of view, I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I like this approach. On the one hand, I’d love to get people excited each week that so-and-so is debuting with the Utah Symphony and could potentially become our new music director. On the other hand, I can see why a potential candidate might not want to be billed as looking for a new position. In that respect, the “everyone’s a possible candidate” approach makes sense.