Albert-George Schram joins the Winston-Salem Symphony as Guest Conductor for the Saturday, October 19, 2019 Pops Series concert featuring The Indigo Girls, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium at 301 N. Hawthorne Road in Winston-Salem.
Equally adept at conducting classical and pops programs, Albert-George Schram has led a wide variety of repertoire for many orchestras in the U.S. and abroad. He is currently Resident Staff Conductor of the Columbus (Ohio) Symphony and Charlotte Symphony orchestras. He has conducted classical, pops, holiday, and educational concerts for both orchestras. He also has served as Music Director of the Lubbock (Texas) Symphony and the Lynn Philharmonia (Florida). Most recently, Schram concluded his tenure as Resident Conductor of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he held titled positions with the Louisville Philharmonic and Florida Philharmonic orchestras. As a Pops conductor, he has worked with James Taylor, Art Garfunkel, Chris Botti, Boyz II Men, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny G, Olivia Newton-John, Smokey Robinson, Chicago, Aretha Franklin, and numerous others. Educated at The Hague Conservatory in his native Netherlands, Schram has also studied at the Universities of Calgary and Victoria in Canada, and the University of Washington. For more information visit albertgeorgeschram.com.
Dr. Mélisse Brunet, Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities at Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music, joins the Winston-Salem Symphony as Guest Conductor for the Saturday, November 2, 2019 Symphony Unbound concert featuring Hiss Golden Messenger. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. at The Ramkat, 70 West 9th Street in downtown Winston-Salem.
In addition to her work at Appalachian State University, Brunet is also beginning her second season as the Interim Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Previously, she was selected as one of six conductors for the 2018 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview; one of six women conductors selected from over 161 applicants representing 33 countries for the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at the Dallas Opera in 2017; and as a conductor for the 2014 Cabrillo Festival for new music (California). A native of Paris, Brunet’s passion for music manifests itself through teaching and mentoring young musicians. She graduated with academic honors from the University of La Sorbonne and the Paris Conservatoire where she earned a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting along with five other diplomas. She also received a Professional Studies degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and her Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Michigan. For more information visit melissebrunet.com.
Martin West, Music Director & Principal Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet, joins the Winston-Salem Symphony as Guest Conductor for the Classics Series concerts Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1. The concerts take place Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 2 p.m. and Tuesday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. This concert series features works by Mendelssohn (Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Rachmaninoff (Piano Concerto no. 1), and Tchaikovsky (Sleeping Beauty Suite).
Acknowledged as one of the foremost conductors of ballet and born in Bolton, England, Martin West studied math at Cambridge University before studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music and London’s Royal Academy of Music. In 1997, he made his debut with English National Ballet and was immediately appointed resident conductor. In recent seasons, he has worked with many of the top companies in North America and Europe including New York City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and The Royal Ballet. West joined the San Francisco Ballet in the fall of 2005, having been a frequent guest since his debut two years earlier. He has made a number of critically acclaimed recordings with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, including the complete score of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and an album of suites from Delibes’ Sylvia and Coppélia. In addition, he conducted on the award-winning DVD of Neumeier’s The Little Mermaid, as well as San Francisco Ballet’s production of Nutcracker for PBS.
Matthew Troy will conduct the Pops Series concert Free Fallin’: The Music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium. He will also conduct the Discovery Concert for Kids Music Explorers! Discovering Music Around the World on Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 3 p.m. at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium.
Matthew Thomas Troy has conducted orchestras across the country including the Rochester Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, Carolina Chamber Symphony, Kensington Consort, Philharmonia of Greensboro, Gate City Camerata, Triad Chamber Music Society and the UNC School of the Arts Symphony. Troy is familiar to local audiences due to his previous work as Associate Conductor with the Winston-Salem Symphony from 2008–2014. Troy has held the position of Artistic Director and Conductor of the Piedmont Wind Symphony since January 2015 and was appointed Music Director of the Western Piedmont Symphony in the spring of 2019. Troy also currently serves as Education Conductor with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, where he conducts the Discovery Series, Educational Concert Series, Link Up Concerts, and leads outreach efforts and performances. Troy earned a bachelor’s degree in music at UNCG as violist, where he also completed his master’s degree in orchestral conducting. For more information visit matthewtroymusic.com.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
The Winston-Salem Symphony, one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, begins its 73rd season in October 2019. 2019–20 will be Timothy Redmond’s inaugural season as Music Director and will include Classics Series concerts featuring renowned guest artists such as Kenny Broberg, Béla Fleck, Rachel Barton Pine, and more. In addition, the season will include a Pops series featuring the Indigo Girls on stage with the Symphony as well as the music of John Williams and a tribute to Tom Petty. A Carolina Christmas returns with special guest artists with North Carolina roots including Laurelyn Dossett. The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah returns along with the Concert for Community featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians, three youth orchestra ensembles, and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs, including the P.L.A.Y. (Piedmont Learning Academy for Youth) Music program providing, primarily to under-served youth, instrumental music instruction and more. The Symphony is supported by Season Presenting Sponsors BB&T and Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Redmond’s Inaugural Season Sponsor Mrs. Charles M. Howell; Symphony Unbound Sponsors Chris and Mike Morykwas; as well as generous funding from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, the North Carolina Arts Council, and other dedicated sponsors. For more information, visit WSsymphony.org.
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