It’s rare that there’s breaking news in the classical music realm locally, but today’s news that Sebastian Lang-Lessing will extend his contract with the San Antonio Symphony definitely qualifies.
It's a new five-year extension brought on, in part, by an increased financial commitment on the part of major donors such as H-E-B and Valero.
Lang-Lessing is originally from Germany, and is a very popular conductor there, in Europe and as far away as Tokyo and Tasmania, where he conducted concurrently with San Antonio until 2012.
When I spoke to Lang-Lessing last month I tried to nail him down on whether he intended to stay after moving the symphony into the Tobin Center next year.
"I’d like to stay here," Lang-Lessing said. "I love San Antonio. My daughter goes to kindergarten here. We bought a home. I have no intention to stop working on a project that I really love, and working with musicians that I really love and admire. So yeah, I’d like to stay here."
Lang-Lessing will speak 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at a signing ceremony of sorts at the IBC plaza downtown. A brass quartet and chamber group will perform as well.
- Learn more about the symphony and the new season online at: www.sasymphony.org