The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announced Tuesday morning that American conductor Karina Canellakis will join the orchestra as assistant conductor beginning in 2014. Canellakis, a New York native, comes to Dallas with an impressive resume as both violinist and conductor. She studied violin at the elite Curtis Institute of Music and holds a master's degree in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School, where she studied with James Ross and the New York Philharmonic's music director, Alan Gilbert.
The DSO's president and CEO, Jonathan Martin, says that "Karina represents a new generation of conductors and musicians that understand both artistic excellence and audience engagement." Canellakis begins her position at the DSO fresh off her recent Carnegie Hall conducting debut.
It's great to see the orchestra hire someone who is both young and female, two categories that are still sorely underrepresented on orchestra podiums in the U.S. and abroad. Canellakis takes over this position from another woman, Rei Hotoda, who is reportedly moving her base to Chicago. Under the orchestra's previous music director, Andrew Litton, another woman, Kerri Lynn Wilson, held the position.
In her new position, Canellakis will assist Jaap van Zweden in preparing the orchestra for classical subscription concerts as well as conduct youth concerts and some DSO on the Go, community and pops concerts, so you can expect a new face at a concert near you in 2014.
