Columbus Symphony Orchestra puts trust in Milanov with contract extension

Amid a time of big plans and much change, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra enters its 2024-25 season with its longtime artistic leader firmly in place.

The symphony, which is in the midst of raising funds for a planned $275-million new concert hall, announced recently that music director Rossen Milanov has signed a contract extension.

“When I came here, I realized that this was an orchestra with an incredible potential for growth, and this was a city that was a little bit, at the time, overshadowed by the two bigger cities in the state,” said Milanov, 59, who has been with the symphony since 2014.

More: How will new Columbus Symphony music hall affect the Ohio Theatre, other arts groups?

“The board has been very happy with Rossen’s contributions to the symphony, the community and the culture, so we thought it was very important to continue his relationship with us,” said symphony board chair Stephen E. Markovich.

In describing his decision to stay with the symphony, Milanov points to what he described as his chemistry with the musicians; among the 47 or so employed full-time, he has appointed 20 musicians. He also says he is proud of the symphony’s programming over the last decade.

“There is an interest in the audience to hear an important and meaningful season of music, both old and new,” said Milanov, whose current contract would have expired in 2025.

New contract to potentially run through 2030

Milanov’s new contract is to begin this fall and run through 2028; the conductor should have the option to extend the contract through 2030. As it happens, 2028 is the projected opening date for the symphony’s new concert hall, a large and complex undertaking that is to require private and public money to complete.

The symphony currently performs in its home of more than 50 years, the Ohio Theatre. “It’s a dream come true,” Milanov said of the new hall. “How many big cities could say that they’re building a new concert hall in 2024? Very, very few. This is incredibly exciting. A lot of the future of the orchestra is going to be designed around this new space.”

Markovich said retaining Milanov was especially important, given the current focus on the concert hall.

“We think continuity (with) the music director is important,” Markovich said.

Search for executive director is underway

Not all of the symphony’s leadership is settled. Executive Director Denise Rehg, a major force in the concert hall project, confirmed in March that she would be leaving the symphony at the end of August.

Markovich said the symphony will embark on a national search for a new executive director that could last into the early fall.

“In addition to great musical direction, which is the role Rossen plays, we also need great leadership and great philanthropic capability and community engagement,” Markovich said.

Current Chief Operating Officer Daniel Walshaw has expressed interest in the executive-director role, according to Markovich.

“I anticipate Daniel will go through that process,” Markovich said. “We’re going to do the best we can so that we don’t have a gap in leadership.”

Upcoming season to include choral masterpieces

In the meantime, the symphony is to perform its 2024-25 season in the Ohio Theatre. The Masterworks subscription series kicks off Sept. 20 and 22 with “A John Williams Celebration,” a program that is to highlight music composed by Williams for such classic films as “Star Wars,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Schindler’s List.”

“(Williams) is such an incredible musical force in American culture... that I think he deserves for us to dedicate a full evening to his music, the way we would dedicate a full evening to the music of Beethoven and Mozart,” Milanov said.

Pianist Maxim Lando is to be front and center for a concert consisting of Modest Mussorgsky’s“Pictures at an Exhibition” and Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” on Nov. 1-2. Milanov called Lando “a very young and energetic pianist.”

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On Nov. 15-17, the Columbus Symphony Chorus will be sure to shine in a resumption of the symphony’s once-regular performances of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” The sacredmasterpiece has not been performed by the symphony in several years.

“I’m glad that it’s back,” Milanov said.

Joined by vocal soloists, the chorus is to again make major contributions to Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 2,” also referred to as the “Resurrection Symphony” − a magisterial work that has also been seldom heard in recent years. Concerts are to take place Jan. 24-25, 2025.

“I don’t remember when was the last time the symphony has done it... not in the last 20 years, for sure,” Milanov said.

Milanov is to conduct the symphony in an ambitious, multiorganization production of Leonard Bernstein’s musical “West Side Story,” which is to also make use of artists from Opera Columbus and BalletMet. Performances are to take place Feb. 13-16, 2025.

“These types of experiences do not come every single day and are difficult to put together, but because by nature we are very collaborative here in Columbus and in the Midwest, I’m so excited that we’ll be able to tackle this great classic musical of the 20th century by one of the greatest musical giants,” Milanov said.

Other programs include an “All-Mozart” concert (March 14-16, 2025); a “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” concert (May 16-17, 2025); and, for the concluding presentation, performances of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” (May 23-24, 2025), also featuring the chorus and vocal soloists.

At a glance

Subscriptions for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 season are on sale now. Tickets to individual shows go on sale June 3.

For more information and a full schedule of The Masterworks concerts, visit columbussymphony.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Milanov continuing to lead Columbus Symphony Orchestra into new season