"...St.Clair conducted with such expressiveness and lucidity, shaping, sculpting, molding, pulling out from his players, by turns, power, grace, precisely delineated jarring rhythms, and an overall fluidity underlying these abrupt changes of mood...[Bernstein: Chichester Psalms]."
Pacific Symphony
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The 2024-25 season marks Carl St.Clair’s 35th year leading Pacific Symphony as Music Director. He is the longest-tenured American-born conductor of a major American orchestra. During St.Clair’s lengthy history, Pacific Symphony has become the largest budgeted orchestra formed in the last 50 years. Pacific Symphony was invited by the League of American Orchestra to become the newest and youngest orchestra among America’s Tier 1 Orchestras. Few orchestras can claim such rapid artistic development.
During his tenure, St.Clair has become widely recognized for his musically distinguished performances and his innovative approaches to programming. In April 2018, St.Clair led Pacific Symphony in its sold-out Carnegie Hall debut, celebrating Philip Glass’s 80th birthday at the final concert of Carnegie’s yearlong celebration of the preeminent composer. The concert ended with a standing ovation and with The New York Times calling the Symphony “a major ensemble!” St.Clair led Pacific Symphony on its first tour to China in May 2018, the orchestra’s first international tour since touring Europe in 2006. The orchestra’s European tour included playing concerts in nine cities (including Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Lucerne, and Vienna) in three countries appearing before capacity houses and receiving standing ovations and critical acclaim. The Hannoversche Allgemeine raved, “St.Clair and his fabulous orchestra completely won over Hanover…with spirit, a sense of sound, and utterly breathtaking precision” and Cologne’s General Anzeiger exclaimed, “Electrifying…captivating!”
Internationally, St.Clair has appeared with orchestras throughout the world. He has led orchestras in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe. In January 2024, following a 27- year relationship with Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal (Germany), St.Clair was named Honorary Guest Conductor for Life. In 2023, he concluded a highly acclaimed 10-year tenure as Music Director with the National Symphony of Costa Rica. From 2008-10, St.Clair was General Music Director for the Komische Oper in Berlin. He also served as General Music Director and Chief
Conductor of the German National Theater and Staatskapelle (GNTS) in Weimar, Germany, where he led Wagner’s Ring Cycle to critical acclaim. He was the first non-European to hold this position at the GNTS; the role also gave him the distinction of simultaneously leading one of the newest orchestras in America and one of the oldest in Europe. St.Clair has led the Boston Symphony Orchestra (where he served as Assistant Conductor for several years 1985-90), New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver symphonies, among many.
Carl St.Clair is a strong advocate of music education for all ages and is internationally recognized for his distinguished career as a master teacher. He has been essential to the creation and implementation of the Symphony’s extensive education and community engagement programs. In addition to his professional conducting career, St.Clair has worked with most major music schools across the country. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Chapman University and have served as a Presidential Fellow, working closely with the students of the College of the Performing Arts. St.Clair has been named “Distinguished Alumni ” at the University of Texas Butler School of Music beginning 2019. And, for over 30 years, he has had a continuing relationship with the USC Thornton School of Music where he is Artistic Leader and Principal Conductor of the orchestral and large ensemble program.
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