The Bozeman Symphony Board of Directors are pleased to announce internationally recognized conductor Norman Huynh has been appointed its new Music Director. Huynh was publicly announced the Bozeman Symphony’s new Music Director at a virtual event on June 8th via a live Zoom meeting hosted by Board of Director’s Chair Stephen Schachman and Executive Director Emily Paris-Martin held at Old Main Gallery.

Norman was selected out of six finalists following a year-long Music Director search throughout the 2019 – 2020 concert season. He was selected with the help of the Bozeman Symphony Board of Directors, an eight-person search committee, staff, musicians, and community participation.

 Stephen Schachman said, “Norman’s talents coupled with our terrific Executive Director Emily Paris-Martin and our dynamic staff will ensure an exciting future for our community and our musicians. It would be remiss not to thank the search committee and our patrons who supported us during the search.”

 As the Bozeman Symphony finalizes its 2020 – 2021 concert season schedule, Schachman adds, “We are all incredibly excited to start the next chapter of the Bozeman Symphony and to continue to bring exceptional live symphonic music to the community. Norman is an exceptional talent and we are fortunate to have someone of his level of expertise help forge the future of the Bozeman Symphony Society.”

 Norman Huynh has established himself as a conductor with an ability to captivate an audience through a multitude of musical genres. Born in 1988, Norman is a first-generation Asian American and the first in his family to pursue classical music as a career. Along with his role as the Bozeman Symphony’s Music Director, he will continue as the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Associate Conductor of the Oregon Symphony.

 Norman is honored to be named the Bozeman Symphony’s new Music Director, and see’s the appointment as the beginning of an exciting adventure.  “I am inspired by Bozeman’s support of the arts, and the closeness of the community as a whole. Everyone that I met during my time in Bozeman, from baristas at coffee shops to The Last Wind Up, expressed a genuine interest in the Bozeman Symphony. I look forward to joining this community and creating musical experiences that continue to bring us closer together,” said Huynh.

 He adds, “As I step into the role of Music Director, I am most excited about the potential of what we can accomplish together. I look forward to expanding our collaborative efforts and building lasting partnerships with other arts institutions in town. In the wake of current world events, I believe that the role of the Symphony is to reconnect us with each other, to facilitate healing and forward momentum through the language of music.”

Bozeman Symphony Concertmaster Carrie Krause is thrilled for the future of her fellow musicians and the entire Bozeman Symphony. She said, “Musically, Norman’s well-equipped to inspire and lead our orchestra to a new level of excellence through his musical passion, awareness of style, training at top-level institutions, adaptability, and deep dedication to the art of our craft.”

Carrie adds, “The Bozeman Symphony at large will benefit from Norman’s strength of creative programming, community-centered marketing, charisma, approachability, and thoughtfulness in collaborating with musicians, staff, audiences, patrons, and Bozeman’s incredibly rich community of arts organizations.”

 Norman’s recent conducting engagements include the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestra Sinfònica del Vallès, Eugene Symphony, Grant Park Music Festival, and the Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra of Bangkok. He has served as a cover conductor for the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic with John Williams.

Norman has been at the forefront of moving orchestral music out of the traditional concert hall into venues where an orchestra is not conventionally found. In 2011, he co-founded the Occasional Symphony in Baltimore to celebrate holidays by performing innovative concerts in distinct venues throughout the inner-city. The orchestra performed on Dr. Seuss’ birthday at Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Halloween in a burnt church turned concert venue, and Cinco de Mayo in the basement bar of a Mexican restaurant. As Music Director, Norman commissioned new works by multiple composers to give concert goers the rare experience of being present for a piece of music’s world premiere.

Norman is a recipient of the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award for his work with the Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra’s Musical Explorer’s Program. As the Assistant Conductor of the PSO from 2013-2016, Norman visited over sixty schools across the state of Maine and co-founded Symphony & Spirits, a series of events for young professionals, between the ages of 21-39, to make the orchestra more accessible and engaging for a younger audience.

In the next few weeks, The Symphony will announce the schedule and programming for its 2020 - 2021 concert season. For questions regarding next season and tickets, please contact the Bozeman Symphony at 406-585-9774 or info@bozemansymphony.org. Visit bozemansymphony.org for more information about new Music Director Norman Huynh.