Diverse, vibrant, masters of their trade … each conductor for the Southwest
Florida Symphony strives for musical excellence. Quality classical music requires a
lifelong commitment to music, a love of the art and a desire to be challenged.
Talented and energetic … each of our young conductors endeavor to bring an
interesting combination of well-known music and undiscovered gems to the stage - performances that artistically challenge the musicians and touch the audience in unexpected ways.
Meet our talented artistic staff.
Michael Hall • Joseph
Caulkins • Paul Nadler •
Catherine Truesdale • Symphony
Orchestra
Michael Hall
Music Director and Conductor
Dazzling and acclaimed young Conductor Michael Hall joins
the
Symphony as Music Director in our 07/08 season.
Selected from an initial pool of over 250 candidates, Hall is
only the 4th Music Director in the Symphony’s history.
A commanding presence on the podium, Hall previously
served as Associate Conductor of Orange County’s Pacific
Symphony in California. He also served as Resident
Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada
and an Associate Conductor of the Havant Symphony
Orchestra in the United Kingdom.
Hall’s numerous guest appearances include some of the
finest orchestras in North America including Houston, Tucson,
Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Windsor, Okanagan, Toledo
and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
A native of Canada, Hall pursued post-graduate studies at
London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where he
worked with Sir Colin Davis, Mark Wigglesworth, George
Hurst and Yuri Temirkanov, and was the recipient of a
number of scholarships.
Hall holds an undergraduate degree from the University of
Toronto and a Masters of Music degree from the University
of
Michigan. Hall was a finalist in the 2003 International
Conducting Competition in Besançon France, and was
awarded third prize in the 2004 Cadaques Orchestra
International Conducting Competition in Spain.
While in Winnipeg, Hall’s performances were recorded by
CBC Radio and heard throughout Canada. In 2001, he
appeared with the Winnipeg Symphony in the BRAVO
television series "Whole Notes," hosted by renowned
pianist Jon Kimura Parker.
Joseph Caulkins
Associate Conductor / Director of Choruses
Caulkins’, now celebrating his seventh season with the
Symphony, has been instrumental in creating new events
and taking our choruses to new heights.
Accolades include: the launch of the Stained Glass Series
now in its 6th Season, the Mozart Festival, the Symphony’s
first recording “Sing Me to Heaven,” a major European
concert tour, participation in the State Convention of the
American Choral Directors Association and an invitation
for the Children’s Chorus to participate in the prestigious
Children in Harmony Choral Festival.
Caulkins has innovatively brought to the stage such works
as Handel’s recently discovered Gloria, rarely heard works
of Telemann, a re-creation of Handel’s first London
performance of Messiah and several Florida premieres
including Nocturnes by Morten Lauridsen, Bob Chilcott’s
A Little Jazz Mass, and Howard Blake’s Benedictus.
This season Caulkins will continue to delight audiences
with our popular Holiday concert A Very Merry Pops and
will also conduct Opera Stars of Juilliard, a Classical Series
concert.
In addition to his role at The Symphony, Caulkins was
recently named Artistic Director/Conductor of the Sarasota
Key Chorale.
Prior to his tenure with the Symphony, Caulkins was
Conductor of the Bach Chamber Choir & Orchestra
(Rockford, IL) and Director of St. Procopius Chamber
Orchestra and Choirs at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL).
Caulkins was twice selected to participate in the prestigious
Oregon Bach Festival Conducting Master Class with Helmuth
Rilling and was a semifinalist for the 2004 and 2006
National Conducting Institute with the National Symphony
Orchestra.
When not conducting, Caulkins can be found listening to
vintage John Coltrane, writing short stories, sculpting
bonsais and mountain climbing. He has traversed over 50
of the world’s peaks!
Paul Nadler
Conductor Emeritus
Maestro Paul Nadler led The Southwest Florida Symphony
for 16 years from 1990 to 2006. During his tenure, the
Symphony soared to new heights – while Maestro Nadler
continued to distinguish himself as one of the world’s most
exciting symphonic and operatic conductors.
Since his debut in 1989, Nadler has conducted over 50
performances at the Metropolitan Opera and has led some
of the world’s most renowned soloists and musicians
including: Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Bryn Terfel,
Renée Fleming, Glenn Dicterow, Garrick Ohlsson, Misha
Dichter and Elmar Olivera.
In April 2006, he took over as musical director and
conductor of Fidelio, at The Met, for the full production
run, replacing James Levine.
In December 2002, Maestro Nadler was invited to conduct
at the Kennedy Center Awards ceremony in the segment
honoring his longtime friend and colleague, James Levine.
Co-director/founder of the International Vocal Arts Institute,
Maestro Nadler returns each summer to this prestigious
professional workshop.
In 2004, he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the
Filarmonica de Stat Iasi (Romania). In August 2005,
Nadler conducted the Chautauqua Music Festival, and
during the 2005-06 Season, he returned to the Mannes
College Orchestra and to the podium of the Bucharest
Philharmonic.
Maestro Nadler has also conducted extensively throughout
North America, Europe and Asia.
The Southwest Florida Symphony is very grateful for Paul
Nadler’s many years of leadership and friendship. We are
also pleased that he will have an enduring role with
us as Conductor Emeritus.
Catherine
Truesdale
Children’s Chorus Conductor
Recently chosen to lead the Children’s
Chorus for
the 2007-08 Season, Truesdale is an experienced
and knowledgeable director, musician and teacher.
She is
in her 16th year as a music teacher
at Canterbury School in Fort Myers and serves as
Alto Section Leader of the Symphony Chorus,
with whom she has performed for eight seasons.
With a degree in music education,
Ms. Truesdale has
an extensive background in both choral and instrumental
music and presents workshops throughout the country.
In addition to her musical expertise, she holds an
MS in Reading and Language Development. She
works with students, parents and teachers using
music as a tool toward phonemic awareness, reading
comprehension and fluency.
Ms. Truesdale
loves to travel, most recently spending
the summer exploring the music and culture of
Ireland. When she's home, she enjoys playing with
her cat and two bunnies, reading, knitting and
crocheting, brushing up on her electric bass and
the occasional skydive.
The Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra
Violin
Concertmaster Reiko Niiya**
Asst. Concertmaster: Hannah Cho
Principal Second: Danut Muresan
Kathleen Beard
Rachel Cox*
Bogdan Chruszcz
Konstantin Dimitriov
John Dipuccio
Kasia Dolinski
Joan Eaton
Ariel Elliot
Lani Hamilton
Janita Hauk**
Cindy Konzen
Andrew Kurtz*
Cindy Montooth
Aniela Pienkos
Dajiang Qi*
Baoling Xu*
Viola
Principal: James Fawcett
Assistant Principal: Jean Phelan
Rosalind Greene*
Steven Grant
Greg Lane
Gail Picha
Shawn Snider
Cello
Assistant Principal: Susannah Kelly (Acting Principal)
Scott Crowley
Julie Cornwall*
Ilie Curteanu
Hristo Ivanov
Bass
Principal: Joseph Trunk**
Assistant Principal: Alex Albanese**
Ariadna Barbe-Villa
T.J. Glowacki
Hideki Sunaga
Flute
Principal: William Larsen**
Second: Beth Larsen*
Third/Utility: Jenny Robinson
Oboe
Principal: Dione Chandler
Second/Eng. Horn: Jennifer Potochnic
Third/Utility: Gene Montooth
Clarinet
Principal: Michael Forte**
Second: Scott Ellington
Third/Utility: Stacey McColley*
Bassoon
Principal: Michael Ellert*
Second: Scott Radloff
Third/Contra: Louis Nanson
French Horn
Principal: Gene Berger
Asst. Pr./Utility: Sharon Pomerants
Second: Jennifer Masciulli
Third: Christopher Allen
Fourth: Kathryn Beck
Trumpet
Principal: Kristopher Marshall
Second: Andrew Kemp
Third: Alan Evans
Fourth: John Copella
Trombone
Principal: Richard Harris
Second: Laurie Penpraze
Bass Trombone: Ian Marc Morgan
Tuba
Principal: Tom Kracmer*
Percussion
Principal: Todd Betz*
Michael Launius
Timpani
Principal: Tom Suta**
Harp
Principal: Kay Kemper*
Keyboard
Principal: Charles Heard
* 10+ years with the Symphony
** 20+ years with the Symphony