Guest conductor Commanday to join Carmel Symphony Orchestra for season opening concert Oct. 7

Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated the date of the concert. The performance will be Oct. 7.

David Commanday will be the guest conductor for the Carmel Symphony Orchestra’s season opening concert, set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Palladium.

Commanday is artistic director and conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra, director of orchestral activities and instructor of cello at Eastern Illinois University, and music director of Youth Music Illinois.

“I am so thrilled that a conductor of David’s experience and musicality will be conducting with the CSO in Carmel,” said Anne Marie Chastain, CSO executive director.

The concert is titled “Masterworks 1: Modern Classics” and will feature guest artist Gabriela Martinez on piano. It will include selections by Beethoven and Mozart plus a commissioned piece by Caroline Ahn, a Carmel resident and Anderson University professor.

Commanday has performed with orchestras in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia – among them the Israel Philharmonic, Belgian Radio Orchestra, Vienna Pro Arte Orchestra, Arad Philharmonic, and Singapore NYO.  Guest engagements in the U.S. include the National Symphony, the American Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, the South Carolina Philharmonic, and the Boca Raton, Eastern Connecticut, Seattle, Atlanta, Flagstaff, Richmond and California Symphonies.

A graduate of Harvard University, the cellist was a principal at Tanglewood under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Seikji Ozawa and Aaron Copeland. He has held faculty positions at Harvard, Boston University, MIT and is an artist in residence and on the adjunct faculty at Eureka College, where he has established a program of string and instrumental instruction. He founded the Eureka College Summer Arts Festival, now in its fourth year, and directs a prestigious chamber music series on campus.

Learn more and see the full CSO season schedule at CarmelSymphony.org. Purchase tickets at the Palladium box office, by calling 317-843-3800 or online at thecenterpresents.org.