The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Appoints New Assistant Conductor, Daniel Brier

    KALAMAZOO, MI, November 13, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce the appointment of Daniel Brier to the position of Assistant Conductor. Mr. Brier boasts an extensive resume, with broad experience conducting orchestras across the United States and around the world. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Spectrum Orchestra in Detroit, Michigan.

"I am very honored to join the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor," stated Brier. "The rich history of high artistic standards, impactful education programs, and forward thinking make this a very wonderful place. I am particularly excited to work with Music Director Raymond Harvey who is a fantastic musician and an orchestra which plays exceptionally well. I look forward to sharing great music and connecting with this vibrant community."

"We are pleased to welcome Daniel Brier to our KSO family," adds Raymond Harvey, Music Director. "He brings with him a level of energy and engagement that will captivate audiences of all ages."

In his Assistant Conductor role with the KSO, Mr. Brier will work chiefly with the orchestra's Family Discovery and Youth Concerts, conducting the performances and coordinating with staff for planning and programming. Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Vice President of Education and Community Partnerships Liz Youker commented, "We are thrilled with Daniel's appointment as KSO Assistant Conductor. In this position he will lead KSO's Youth and Family concerts. He is a very musical conductor whose artistry at the podium will guide our young listeners to see and hear the excitement and beauty of the music. He is a great communicator and brings exciting ideas for engaging students in the concert hall."

Daniel Brier is an emerging conductor who has worked with orchestras and choirs in the United States and abroad. He has conducted the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Royal Oak Symphony, Detroit Medical Orchestra, Great Lakes Music Festival, Orion Chamber Music Society, University of Michigan Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras, University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Cantata Singers, Spectrum Orchestra, and the Orpheus Singers. He is currently in his third season as Music Director of the Spectrum Orchestra. An advocate for new music, Mr. Brier regularly collaborates with living composers and displays a commitment to promoting and performing their music. Recent premieres include Shin's Power and Light, Lavender's Battery, Boggs' Wanderlust: Beginnings and May's Essay for Chamber Orchestra. At home on the stage and in the pit, Mr. Brier recently conducted Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro in a semi-staged concert production.

Previous conducting positions include Assistant and Cover Conductor for the Lexington Philharmonic, Assistant Conductor of the University of Michigan Orchestras, Assistant Conductor of the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater, and Conductor of the Orpheus Singers. In 2010, Mr. Brier was selected as a Prizewinner for his "exceptional conducting" during the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic's International Conducting Masterclass and Competition. He studied with John Nelson during his engagement with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris and Munchener Bach-Chor. Additionally, he has conducted in masterclasses with Giancarlo Guerrero, Hugh Wolff, Jorma Panula, Alexander Polishchuk, Victor Yampolsky, Carl Topilow, and Ragnar Bohlin.

Mr. Brier recently completed his graduate studies as a fellow at the University of Michigan's conducting program, where he studied orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kielser. He is also a recipient of the Julian and Vera McIntosh scholarship for promising young musicians and conductors. Previously, Mr. Brier earned a M. M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Dr. Jerry Blackstone. During his choral degree, Mr. Brier was a graduate student instructor and recipient of the Dr. Charlene Archibeque and Dorothy Greenwald scholarships.

With such talent and experience, Daniel Brier is a welcome addition to the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and it looks forward to a promising future with him.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

About the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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