The new music director of Olympia Symphony Orchestra? Alexandra Arrieche
Alexandra Arrieche is the Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s new music director, and she can’t wait to get started.
“I fell in love with the city and fell in love with organization,” Arrieche told the Olympian. “if you meet me, what you see is what you get. If I like it, I like it. if I love it, it’s a tsunami of feelings that comes.”
The high-profile conductor — who leads the classical-rock fusion concert series “Night of the Proms” and appeared in the recent documentary “The Conductor” — was in Olympia for the announcement, which came Friday at the orchestra’s gala fundraiser.
Arrieche, who also leads the Henderson (Nevada) Symphony Orchestra, is already looking for a home to rent in Olympia and working on programs for the 2022-2023 season.
The orchestra’s leadership is as enthusiastic about their new music director as she is about her new position.
“We were looking for somebody who had the right combination of qualities to help us grow,” said Bill Tweit, president of the orchestra’s board. “There’s a certain electricity when Alex walks into the room — an excitement and electricity that we’re looking forward to harnessing ourselves to,”
“She brings out the best in people,” said Jennifer Hermann, the orchestra’s executive director. “I heard so many people saying that after spending time with her, they felt better about themselves and about what they could contribute to our organization or community as a whole.”
The decision was not an easy one, according to Tweit, Hermann and Chris Barnes, chair of the search committee.
The committee was impressed by Arrieche’s rapport with young people, focus on educational programs and ideas about collaborations between the orchestra and other arts organizations, Barnes said.
“Alex was really curious and asked great questions,” he added. That’s really valuable in building relationships.”
Arrieche, who grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, has been living in Henderson, where she’s led the orchestra since 2016. She’ll continue leading that orchestra, and conducting the annual “Proms” in Europe, as she takes up the baton in Olympia.
“I will have my hub in Olympia,” she said. “I really want to spend more time and get to know the community. That’s how I work.”
Arrieche’s first Olympia concert will be a 2022-2023 season preview on Oct. 16 at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts.
The concert will introduce audiences not only to the season’s music but also to the new music director, Hermann said. “There will be seats available for audience members to sit on stage and watch from the musicians’ perspective,” she said. “There will be a ‘conductor cam’ on her so those in the regular seats can see her face.”
Arrieche, like the other music-director candidates, had commitments on some already-planned dates, including July 23, when the Olympia Symphony Orchestra will present a free summer concert in Heritage Park. Cameron May and Juan Felipe Molano will conduct.
Going forward, though, guest conductors won’t be seen only when the new conductor is unavailable.
“We recognize that music director and conductor are two separate functions,” Tweit said. “Alex is indispensable to us as music director, and while we want her to be our primary conductor, we’re interested in a little variety there.”
“When you have a guest conductor, it’s like you are giving a workshop to your musicians,” Arrieche said. “It’s important for the musicians to hear more than one opinion. … We need to be open, because that’s how we grow.”
Coming up for the Olympia Symphony Orchestra
Concert at Capitol Lake with Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia and Marrowstone Music Festival musicians: 2 p.m. July 23 in Heritage Park, Olympia. Free, with donations welcome.
2022-2023 season preview: Oct. 16 at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia
2022-2023 season concerts: Nov. 13, Dec. 23, Feb. 4 and 5, March 19, April 23
2023-2024 season preview: May 20
Tickets will go on sale later in the summer.
More information: https://www.olympiasymphony.org.