We are excited to share the latest developments and changes in the professional lives of our members. This edition covers announcements made July through September 2019. If you want to share the administrative, board, or staff member happenings at your organization, send announcements to [email protected]. 
   

INDIVIDUALS

Aubrey Bergauer has stepped down from her role as Executive Director of the California Symphony. She plans to to deploy her revenue-generating and audience-building strategies in greater service to the field as an advisor and consultant to other arts organizations.
    
The Santa Rosa Symphony, as it enters its 92nd season, announced four new appointments to its board of directors. They are Garth Bixler, Pam Chanter, Barb Spangler and Mark Wardlaw. New board officers are as follows: Al Seidenfeld, Chairman of the Board; Corinne Byrd, Vice-Chairman; Sean Pryden, Treasurer; Linda Castiglioni, Secretary; and Jamei Haswell, Immediate Past Chairman.
    
The Las Vegas Philharmonic announced that Christina Castellanos has been appointed as Principal Flute.  A member of the orchestra since 2001, Castellanos joined the LVP when she was a senior at UNLV.  Castellanos has played with opera legends Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, and Renee Fleming. Castellanos is currently principal flute for both the Salt Lake Symphony and the Nevada POPS and plays flute and piccolo as the first call substitute for Utah Symphony, Utah Opera, Ballet West, Orchestra at Temple Square for The Tabernacle Choir and the Boise Philharmonic. 
    
Marin Symphony Association announced that with its expansion of Pops programming, Stuart Chafetz has been appointed to the new position of Principal Pops Conductor of the Marin Symphony. Chafetz also serves as the Principal Pops Conductor of the Columbus Symphony and is increasingly in demand with orchestras across the continent. This season he will be on the podium in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Naples, Philly Pops, and Pittsburgh. 

The Las Vegas Philharmonic elected a new slate of officers to the Board of Trustees for a two-year leadership term. Jeri Crawford steps into the role of Board Chair, Scott Kerestesi is the Immediate Past Chair, and Rachelle Crupi assumes Vice Chair. Ellis Landau serves as Treasurer and Patricia Fink as Secretary. Music Director Donato Cabrera recently began his sixth season leading the Philharmonic and has received a contract extension through the 2021/2022 season.  
    
Charles Dickerson has founded the South Side Chicago Youth Orchestra to serve many young musicians of color who had to commute long distances to take part in music programs downtown or in the city's northern suburbs. Ten years ago, Dickerson started the Inner City Youth of Orchestra in Los Angeles after realizing young musicians of color had no orchestras in their community.
     
Golden State Youth Orchestra welcomes Joanne Lee as Development and Volunteer Manager and Gina Vitanza as Assistant Orchestra Manager and Librarian. Lee was Director of Development for ECYS from 2006-2010 and is an alumni parent. Vitanza studied with Nancy Goeres, principal bassoonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, at Carnegie Mellon University where she received her master’s degree in music performance. 
     
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra appointed Jaime Martín as Music Director and successor to Jeffrey Kahane, who stepped down in June after a 20-year tenure. Principal flute of the Royal Philharmonic and London Philharmonic orchestras and of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Martín turned to conducting full-time five years ago. He is principal conductor of Sweden’s Gävle Symphony and chief conductor of the Cadaqués Orchestra, a chamber ensemble in Spain.
      
Rafael Payare began his role as the music director of the San Diego Symphony on July 1, 2019, succeeding Maestro Jahja Ling, whose tenure began in 2004-05 and culminated in the 2016-17 season. Payare was formerly music director of the Ulster Orchestra, principal conductor of the Castleton Festival, and honorary conductor of Sinfonietta Cracovia.
    
The Santa Barbara Symphony welcomes Anais Pellegrini as Vice President of Advancement. A Santa Barbara resident for over ten years, Pellegrini has served as Associate Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Tri-Counties office; as Associate Director of Development for the Granada Theatre; Director of Development for the Community Environmental Council; and most recently Director of Development at Dream Foundation.
     
The Camellia Symphony Orchestra has appointed Chase Spruill as concertmaster. Spruill was an artist-in-residence and founding violinist of Sacramento State University’s contemporary chamber music ensemble before accepting a residency at the Nationally celebrated not-for-profit organization Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI where he served as a core faculty member and resident musician from 2012-2017 and was appointed a visiting professor of violin at Wheaton College in Norton, MA from 2015-2017. 
   
Mill Valley Philharmonic announced Dana Sadava has been engaged as the orchestra’s new Artistic Director/Conductor. Sadava is in her fifth year as music director of the Community Women’s Orchestra in Oakland and artistic director of the Pasadena Opera. She is the conductor of the Santa Rosa Symphony Aspirante Youth Orchestra and director of Chamber Music at The Urban School. She has also worked as a conductor and coach at Opera San Jose, University of California San Diego, Wexford Opera (Ireland), and Banff Opera as Theatre (Canada).

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s Simon Woods has resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors elected Thomas L. Beckmen to succeed Jay Rasulo as Chair of the Board.
   
Festival Mozaic's Music Director, Scott Yoo, is host of a new miniseries on the PBS show Great Performances. Each episode focuses on a different composer. 
   
Berkeley Symphony’s newly appointed Music Director, Joseph Young, will lead his first season in 2019/20. Young served as the Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony where he conducted more than 50 concerts per season. He also served as the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, where he was the driving force behind the ensemble’s artistic growth. Other previous appointments have included Resident Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow with Buffalo Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony. 
    

ORGANIZATIONS

YOSAC (Youth Orchestra of Southern Alameda County) has changed its name to East Bay Youth Orchestras.

FOOSA Philharmonic has been invited on a national tour of China, with 6-8 concerts exclusively in major concert halls across the country from December 2019 to January 2020. Past FOOSA participants and all interested pre-professional and professional musicians are encouraged to audition for the limited seats performing alongside the world-class FOOSA Faculty. 

The Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra embarked on a China tour, performing in Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. The Shanghai performance on July 14 at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center Concert Hall performed The Rhyme of Taigu, composed by Dr. Zhou Long. Dr. Long attended the concert and conducted two Chinese folk songs that he arranged as an encore. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf attended with her 11-member delegation consisting of business and political leaders from Oakland. 

The San Diego Symphony announced that construction will begin in September 2019 on Bayside Performance Park, a permanent concert venue at Embarcadero Marina Park South. The first concerts are scheduled for summer 2020.