The Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) announced David Bernard as its music director starting with the 2016-17 season. Bernard, an acclaimed American conductor, orchestra builder and sought-after guest conductor, will lead the orchestra in five subscription classical programs in his first season as music director.
“We are excited to begin the next chapter in the Massapequa Philharmonic’s history with David Bernard as our music director,” said MPO board president Nicholas Healy. “David Bernard’s rare combination of artistic excellence, strategic vision and a close rapport with our musicians, cultivated through his frequent guest appearances with the MPO, make him the ideal choice for music director. David has already begun to pave the way for building our orchestra, strengthening our ties with the community and helping us reach new and larger audiences.”
“I am thrilled to be named music director of the Massapequa Philharmonic,” said Bernard. “For over 33 years, this orchestra has brought great music and first-rate soloists to its audiences each season. I look forward to working with the MPO board, its musicians and the community to build the Massapequa Philharmonic into a central cultural resource for Massapequa and all of Long Island.”
Bernard has presented world premieres of scores by Bruce Adolphe, Chris Caswell, John Mackey and Ted Rosenthal, and distinguished concert collaborators have included Jeffrey Biegel, Carter Brey, David Chan, Catherine Cho, Pedro Díaz, Stanley Drucker, Bart Feller, Ryu Goto, Whoopi Goldberg, Sirena Huang, Judith Ingolfsson, Christina Jennings, Yevgeny Kutik, Anna Lee, Jessica Lee and Kristin Lee.
An active guest conductor throughout the greater New York City area, he has appeared with the Brooklyn Symphony, the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Litha Symphony, the Massapequa Philharmonic, the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, the Putnam Symphony and the South Shore Symphony.
The initial phase of Bernard’s strategy includes expanding the relationship between the orchestra, the Massapequa Public Schools and the greater Massapequa community.
“David Bernard is not only bringing excellence and innovation to the orchestra, but also to the relationships between the orchestra and the community,” said Dr. David Gaines of the Massapequa Public Schools music department. “In our case, his plans include expanded collaboration with our teachers that will provide students and their families with direct access to live performances of the music they are exposed to in the classroom, master classes for our best students taught by Massapequa Philharmonic soloists and programs to help encourage our younger students to begin studying instruments.”
The 2016-17 season of the Massapequa Philharmonic begins on Sunday, Oct. 23, at Berner Auditorium, 50 Carman Mill Rd., Massapequa. The concert is free to the public and offers a program focused on the music of Antonin Dvorak. The featured soloist will be the internationally renowned cellist Adrian Duarov. For more information, visit www.massphil.org.
