Pasadena Symphony Orchestra Board President Kimberly Winnick announced last month that the Board of Directors has appointed highly acclaimed music conductor Brett Mitchell as the symphony’s newest music director. His five-year term began on April 1, and his first performance as music director will be the orchestra’s season-opening concert on October 26, with further details to be announced by the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra.
Pasadena Symphony Executive Director Andrew Brown talks about his collaboration with Mitchell and everything that went into casting him for the role.
“I was hired by the symphony orchestra last November, so I credit my predecessors for their exhaustive two-year search to hire a new music director,” Brown said. “Brett was selected from a narrow group of key individuals, but he continued to rise to the top. He is so creative, pragmatic and full of good ideas. We have already begun to collaborate together and he already understands our uniqueness as a symphony and what we can offer Pasadena.”
Hailed for his skillfully executed performances, Mitchell is known as a passionate advocate of classical music and his love of popular, modern music. He regularly collaborates with some of the world’s leading soloists such as René Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Yitzhak Perlman, Konrad Tao, Cyril Gerstein, Rudolf Buchbinder, Augustin Hadelich, Leila Josefowicz, James Enes and Alisa Weilerstein. As he is also an in-demand conductor, Mitchell has appeared at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Cleveland and Minnesota Orchestras; the Detroit, Dallas, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Vancouver and National symphonies; and an extended tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
“I’ve had other roles in music before, but this will be its own unique journey. I feel so privileged to be able to work with such a distinguished group as the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. When I met Andy last fall, shortly after he started his role, we hit it off like gangsters. Meeting great people makes work so much easier and so much more fun. With a baby girl on the way for our family, I am so excited for both of these adventures to begin,” said Mitchell.
In his new role, Mitchell will be the artistic side of operations and Brown will be the administrative half. With the fall season coming up, Mitchell will work to create a program that will be announced later this year.
On the radar of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra for several years, Mitchell was previously announced as an artistic partner for the orchestra’s 2021-22 season. On the strength of his initial appearance, he was then invited to return as Artistic Partner for the 2023-24 season, conducting the opening concerts last fall.
“Brett Mitchell emerged from our competitive search for music director as our overall favorite, and I am delighted to welcome him as our new artistic director,” said Winick. “His energy and talent will engage, sustain and help grow our music community.”
In conjunction with his new role with the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra, Mitchell will still retain his position as artistic director and conductor of the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon, which began in 2022. He previously served as music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Denver from 2017 to 2021, after spending four years with the Cleveland Orchestra, moving from assistant conductor to associate conductor, and a previous career role with the Houston Symphony Orchestra as assistant conductor.
The Pasadena Symphony Orchestra has a long history since its founding in 1982 by conductor Reginald Bland, but Mitchell will now be only the sixth conductor to serve as music director. The Pasadena Symphony Orchestra was originally called the Pasadena Civic Orchestra, and its first members were mostly volunteers. Today, the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra offers musical concerts of the highest quality, ranging from orchestral performances to recitals by world-renowned artists, and provides broad access to youth education programs and the performing arts through digital innovation and community outreach.
For more information about the Pasadena Symphony, visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
