The Solti Foundation has released its 2019 Career Assistance Awards, raising the number of Career Assistance Awards the organization has granted since turning its focus to exclusively assisting young American conductors in 2004 to 78.
The young conductors work throughout the United States, and abroad, and hold posts in California, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and abroad in Brazil and Canada.
This year’s award recipients include first time recipients and some young conductors who have been supported in the past.
The ten are:
Conner Gray Covington, Associate Conductor, Utah Symphony
Aram Demirjian, Music Director of Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Joshua Hong, Music Director of the Campanile Orchestra
Stilian Kirov, Music Director of the Bakersfield Symphony (CA), Illinois Philharmonic and New Jersey’s Symphony in C
Benjamin Manis, Resident Conductor of the Houston Grand Opera
Lee Mills, Resident Conductor of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony
Gemma New, Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Resident Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Stefano Sarzani, former Associate Conductor of the Des Moines Metro Opera, Stephanie Rhodes Russell, recently appointed Associate Conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival
Kensho Watanabe, Assistant Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra
