THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RELEASE
Danville, IL, Oct. 20, 2023 – The Danville Symphony Orchestra’s new season has all of the drama of a battle between two swordfighters. But instead of slashing rapiers, the two competing conductors are waving their batons.
Maestro Richard Zielinski and Maestro Matthew Sheppard are the two accomplished conductors vying to become the DSO’s next music director—and DSO audiences will have a voice in choosing the winner.
On Sat., Oct. 14, Maestro Zielinski inaugurated the DSO’s 2023-24 season with a concert featuring a toe-tapping repertory of Broadway show tunes. Maestro Sheppard’s turn will come on Sat., Dec. 2 with a concert titled, “Nothin’ but the Blues Christmas” with the jazz stylings of singer Shayna Steele. Each guest conductor will perform one other concert during the season, with the new music director named in mid-2024.
Saturday’s concert also marked the DSO orchestra’s return after a two-year absence to the fully renovated Dick Van Dyke Auditorium. Based on the loud and sustained ovation that Maestro Zielinski and the 60-piece orchestra received at the conclusion of the concert, the audience seemed pleased with the performance.
Prior to the concert, DSO Executive Director Kay Welch invited patrons to fill out a brief survey to offer their opinions about Maestro Zielinski’s performance. As she says, “We certainly care about how our DSO musicians feel about the two conductors, but we are also committed to hearing from our audiences. What our audiences think will help us immeasurably in the process of hiring the next music director.”
The music-director position initially attracted more than 60 applicants. A committee that included musicians, DSO board members, DSO staff, and community members winnowed out these two maestros to set the stage for this season-long search.
No stranger to Danville or Vermilion County audiences, Maestro Zielinski once conducted choral groups in the City and founded the Vermilion Festival Chorus with Dave Schroeder. He has a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Illinois and his wife is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University. For the past 12 years, he has served as music and artistic director for the Norman Philharmonic in Oklahoma.
If selected as the DSO’s next music director, Maestro Zielinski says that he and his wife would happily return to Vermilion County. He says, “We still have close friends here and would certainly look forward to reengaging with this wonderful community in Danville and helping sustain the continued growth of the Symphony.”
Maestro Zielinski also expressed his appreciation for the Danville Symphony’s musicians. “They are as talented a group as I’ve ever encountered”—which is high praise for someone who has led orchestras in Austria, Florida, Poland, and Slovakia.
Next up in the DSO’s competition for music director is Matthew Sheppard, who also has impressive credentials in leading symphonies. Maestro Sheppard is the artistic director and primary conductor for several youth orchestras in the Chicagoland area, as well as ensembles at the University of Chicago. He is completing his doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Illinois.
With the competition between the maestros heating up, tickets for Maestro Sheppard’s first concert—“Nothin’ but the Blues Christmas”—is sure to sell out fast. Tickets on the main floor and balcony are $35 and $45. Students with a valid ID can buy tickets for $10.
Tickets may be purchased online at danvillesymphony.org, or by calling (217) 443-5300. Tickets are also available at the DSO office at 715 West Fairchild Street, Danville. Hours 1 -5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The DSO is a 501 c 3 organization with a 57-year tradition of bringing outstanding orchestral performances to the City of Danville, Vermilion County, and the East Central Illinois region. Performances are supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council and by the John P. Cadle Foundation. For more information or for a four-concert season subscription, you may contact Kay Welch or Maddi Julian at (217) 443-5300 or visit the Danville Symphony Orchestra website at www.danvillesymphony.org.
