Conductor
South Dakota Symphony
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Delta David
Gier has been called a dynamic voice
on the American music scene, recognized widely for his penetrating interpretations
of the standard repertoire and his passionate commitment to new music.
In summer 2000 he conducted the New York Philharmonic in what were described
as "splendid performances . . . He found new ways to look at old
repertoire in Stravinsky's ballet suite from The Firebird (1945), setting
up musical climaxes masterfully and exploiting the subtlety of the timbrel
combinations and expressive devices with a zeal not usually found."
He came to national attention in 1997 while conducting a tour of Carmen
for San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theater. For the past six seasons
Mr. Gier has served as an assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic,
and recently for the Metropolitan Opera as well.
The release of his recording of Symphony
No. 2 (42) by American composer Carson Kievman with the Polish National
Radio Symphony on the New Albion label received acclaim from many quarters. "The kind of performance composers live for"
was the Denver Post's response, while Spoleto Today wrote, "It provides
one of the most powerful musical experiences I have had in recent times."
As a Fulbright Scholar (1988-90) Gier
led critically acclaimed performances with many orchestras of Eastern
Europe. He was invited to the former Czechoslovakia to conduct Dvorak's
Eighth Symphony in celebration of the 100th anniversary of its premiere.
Gier took this opportunity to introduce Eastern European audiences to
many American masterworks, such as Barber's Violin Concerto with the Presidential
Symphony of Ankara, and Copland's Appalachian Spring with the Bucharest
Philharmonic. "He possesses an innate sense of expression which stems
naturally from an absolute artistic sincerity . . ." was how Mircea
Cristescu, the Bucharest Philharmonic's laureate conductor, characterized
Gier's direction.
Gier earned a Master of Music degree
in conducting from The University of Michigan under Gustav Meier. "He
communicates a true and convincing interpretation to the audience"
Meier observed, ". . . and, above all, he brings the composer to
the center of the stage." As a student at Tanglewood and Aspen he
studied also with Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Erich Leinsdorf, and
Seiji Ozawa, and was later invited by Riccardo Muti to spend a year as
an apprentice at the Philadelphia Orchestra. At the invitation of the
American Symphony Orchestra League he participated in their National Conductor
Preview, a highly selective showcase for young conductors.
Mr. Gier has been increasingly in
demand as a teacher and conductor in many highly regarded music schools.
Within the last two years he has served as a visiting professor at the
Yale School of Music, the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati,
the San Francisco Conservatory and SUNY Stony Brook.
Delta David Gier lives in Montclair,
New Jersey with his wife, Angela, and their two children, Gabriel and
Anna. |
