When Dr. John Ricarte stepped down after ten seasons of conducting the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra at the end of last season, there was a collective gasp as the group realized they would be saying good-bye to their long-time friend and musical leader.

But members of the Board and the Orchestra quickly realized that this was an opportunity to cast the net for a new leader, one who would continue the legacy of Dr. Ricarte and take the Orchestra to new heights. They sprang to action, formed a Search Committee, developed a comprehensive plan and sent the call out for interested applicants to apply.

That call was answered by over 50 applications from all over the world, proving once again that Fort Bend really does have something special to offer. Of these applications, six rose to the top, and have been named as finalists for the position of Music Director.

Over the next season, each candidate will conduct one concert and the accompanying rehearsals. At the end of the season, a finalist will be named and will become the Music Director for the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra.  The following are the dates and locations for each finalist’s debut with the Orchestra:

Sept. 22, 2007; Sugar Land Town Square – Mariusz Smolij
Oct. 28, 2007; Stafford Centre – Viswa Subbaraman
Dec. 2, 2007; Stafford Centre – Ken Masur
Feb. 17, 2008; Stafford Centre – William M. Weibel
March 29, 2008; First United Methodist Church – Missouri City – Héctor Agüero, Jr.
June 1, 2008; Stafford Centre – Libi Lebel

For more information about the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, please visit the website at http://www.fbso.org/ or call 281-276-9642.

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