> Stefan Sanderling has been appointed the new music director of the Florida Orchestra, to replace the departing Jahja Ling. Sanderling will be music director designate for the 2002-03 season, conducting no more than two concerts, and then will begin his five year contract as the orchestra's leader in the 2003-04 season.
Sanderling, son of former Leningrad Philharmonic conductor Kurt Sanderling, was guest conductor with the Florida Orchestra in March, when he helmed three performances of a program of Mozart, Francaix and Brahms. "I think this orchestra is on its way to become one of the best orchestras in the country," he says. "And it is certainly one of the best orchestras I have ever conducted. Whatever it takes, whatever it needs to help in its development, I am ready to do it."
Sanderling, 37, has been chief conductor of the Orchestra de Bretagne in Rennes, France, and, until this year, also served as music director of the Staatstheater and the Philharmonic Orchestra Mainz in Germany. He originally studied in Leipzig with Kurt Masur and then moved to the U.S. to study at the University of Southern California. He made his North American debut in 1988 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and also participated in the 1989 Tanglewood Summer Music Festival.
Sanderling has since conducted around the world from Prague to Sydney and made recordings with various orchestras on the Sony Classics, Naxos and the ASV labels.
Contact Mark E. Leib at mark.leib @weeklyplanet.com or call 813-248-8888, ext. 305.
This article appears in May 8-14, 2002.