Spokane Symphony and Nakahara receive Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award

Jul 18, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

Spokane Symphony and Nakahara receive Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award

The Bruno Walter Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Spokane Symphony in support of Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara. For the 2006-07 season, Nakahara will be known for holding the Bruno Walter Associate Conductor Chair. Nakahara is one of two chosen for this coveted award. David In-Jae Cho, Resident Conductor for the San Antonio Symphony was the other recipient.

The purpose of this annual program is to highlight the importance of assistant conductor positions as essential mentoring and learning experiences for emerging conductors.

We are honored to have been selected by the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation to receive this generous grant and its accompanying tribute. The Spokane Symphony and Morihiko Nakahara are honored. He is a gifted and dynamic conductor and we are very fortunate to have him as part of our artistic leadership team, said Executive Director Brenda Nienhouse.
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In this time when potential opportunities for emerging conductors may be diminishing, the Foundation believes it is important to take a leadership role in assisting institutions and assistant conductors by highlighting the importance of these positions to the training and careers of our future orchestral leadership. These grants are intended to remind musicians and the general public of the invaluable contribution Maestro Walter made during his lifetime to opera, symphonic music and the training of young conductors.

The Bruno Walter Assistant Conductor Chair program carries an award of $7,500 to the symphony orchestra or opera company. In addition, the Bruno Walter Career Development Grant of $2,500 is made to the assistant conductor for projects that further his or her career, such as attendance at a conductor training session or other mentoring/career development program.

This year more than 20 applicants competed for this award. Applications were submitted by a wide range of large and small symphony orchestras and opera companies and were reviewed by a panel that consisted of the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation trustees, plus Patrick Smith, well-known music critic and former Opera and Music Theatre Program Director for the National Endowment for the Arts; and Jesse Rosen, Chief Program Officer of the American Symphony Orchestra League.

In addition to his duties as Associate Conductor of the Spokane Symphony, Nakahara is Director of Orchestra at Eastern Washington University.