Midway through its second season, the San Antonio Philharmonic made a major announcement this week by naming Jeffrey Kahane as its first ever Music Director. Kahane will join the orchestra in the fall for its 2024-2025 season.
In a prepared release accompanying the announcement, the San Antonio Philharmonic’s Executive Director, Roberto Treviño, expressed that Kahane “understands the significance of engaging with all members of the community.”
Kahane noted at the press conference announcing his hire that he grew up in Los Angeles, a majority Latino city, and that for him, being fluent in Spanish is “more than just a skill,” it is “a key to opening new worlds.” Kahane will office out of the Philharmonic’s headquarters on the West Side of San Antonio, and said he looks forward to interacting with the community.
“One of my favorite things to do, as you can probably tell, is talk about music and communicate my passion for it and help people to get a deeper understanding of what it is that they're hearing,” Kahane said. “I hope to do that in as many different parts of the community as possible… and it will be a pleasure for me to be able to go and do concerts in neighborhoods and speak in both languages.”
The San Antonio Philharmonic also teased a little of next season’s repertoire at the press conference, including recent works by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, Black American composer Jeff Scott, and Native American composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, as well as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
Jeffrey Kahane’s career spans five decades as a conductor, soloist and recording artist. He’s been a favorite guest of the orchestra for years. The San Antonio Philharmonic’s President, Brian Petkovich, noted how whenever his name came up on the schedule as a guest of the San Antonio Symphony, the musicians would get excited about his appearance.
Equally as excited, Treviño said “the sky’s the limit” now for what the San Antonio Philharmonic can do in the community.
From a financial standpoint, Treviño also said the San Antonio Philharmonic is “taking steps to be an organization that corporations and individuals and foundations can be proud to support,” and that on Monday, former Bexar County Tax Assessor Sylvia Romo will be announced as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer.
“We want people to know that we are taking care of business,” Treviño concluded.
