(VOORHEES, NJ) -- The Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey (PSNJ) has announced that conductor James Allen Anderson has been appointed Music Director beginning with the 2023-2024 season. His appointment concludes a three-year search process that included seventy-five applicants from across the country.
James Allen Anderson was introduced to PSNJ audiences when he memorably opened the orchestra's 2022-23 season with a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. His chemistry with PSNJ musicians was evident to those who heard or were a part of the performance and knew that they had witnessed something special.
Anderson says, "My first impression of the musicians of the PSNJ was that of a musical family dedicated to sharing their extraordinary talent with the community, and providing deeply personal and insightful performances. That sense of commitment, passion, and artistry was present at every rehearsal and the performance. I am honored and humbled by the trust that the players, Board of Directors, and audience members of the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey have placed in my role as the next Music Director. So thrilled to see what we will build together!"
The Philharmonic also announced that outgoing music director Matthew Oberstein will return annually to conduct the orchestra's popular holiday pops concert. Oberstein led the Philharmonic as Music Director from 2012 to 2023.
The orchestra’s founding music director, Philip F. Travaline, has played trumpet in the orchestra since he stepped down in 2012, and continues as a member of the orchestra as Anderson begins his tenure as music director.
Elura Nanos, President of the PSNJ Board of Directors and flutist in the orchestra, said the orchestra could not be more enthusiastic about working with Anderson.
"James' palpable passion for using music to inspire and bring people together is infectious, and we are confident that the PSNJ's supporters will share in the orchestra's excitement.”
Nanos was appreciative that the PSNJ’s former leaders plan to continue their special relationships with the ensemble.
"Phil and Matthew each spent years shaping the PSNJ and they are woven into our very fabric. The chance for us to continue to share the stage with these brilliant and dedicated musicians while entering the PSNJ's next era is a rare gift that could only happen in an ensemble like ours."
PSNJ Music Director 2012-2023 Matthew Oberstein says "The Philharmonic is a very special ensemble, and it was my great thrill to lead the organization for the last decade. It’s clear to me that James is the perfect person to lead the orchestra’s next chapter, and I cannot wait to see what the orchestra does under his baton.”
Anderson takes the podium at a free outdoor patriotic concert at the Burlington County amphitheater on July 1, 2023 at 7:00pm.
Details of the 2023-24 season will be announced later this summer.
Hailed for his inventive programming and compelling interpretations, award-winning maestro James Allen Anderson continues to engage audiences worldwide with entertaining and thought-provoking performances. Praised for his conducting versatility, he is equally at home in both concert and staged production settings. Since 2011, he has served as the director of orchestral activities and music director of the University of Delaware's Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and Opera Theatre. Maestro Anderson continues to break new ground creating innovative programs such as the Delaware International Music Exchange (D.I.M.E.) project, the Creative Fusion Initiative (C.F.I.) and the University of Delaware's Cinema Symphony Series.
Trained as a conductor and pianist, Dr. Anderson studied under esteemed maestros David Effron, Tonu Kalam, Pierre Hétu and Otto-Werner Mueller and with pianists Michael Zenge and Francis Whang. In previous positions Dr. Anderson has served as music director of the Butte Symphony association, cover conductor of the North Carolina Symphony and director of orchestral activities at Appalachian State University and the University of Montana. He has held posts with the Eastman Opera Theatre, Triangle Opera (NC), Theater on the Ridge (NY) and the Pauper Players Theatre Company (NC). Additional affiliations include three summer seasons as resident conductor of the Master Players Festival Orchestra in Newark, Delaware, and eight seasons as resident conductor of the Cannon Music Symphony and String Orchestras in Boone, North Carolina. He is in demand as a guest conductor, having worked with ensembles in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Upcoming international guest conducting activities include performances with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva. He remains committed to a variety of outreach projects and is a frequent adjudicator and clinician on the national and international level.
His commitment to new music developed early in his career and led to collaborations with composers such as Joseph Schwantner, Augusta Read Thomas, Michael Daugherty, Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, David Liptak, George Walker and Robert Moore. This commitment to new music endures with recent world premiere performances of works by Mark Hagerty, Beyond These Horizons; Robert Moran, Frammenti di un'opera barocca perduta and Star Charts and Travel Plans I; Joseph Vella Concerto Grosso; William Harbinson, Of Fire and Ice; David Maslanka, 11:11 A Dance at the Edge of the World, Symphony No. 6 "Living Earth" and A Child's Garden of Dreams: Book 2); and Daniel Bukvich, The Glittering Hill. Recordings are available under the Albany Records label.
The Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey is an 85+ piece symphony orchestra formed in 1991 to provide quality classical music to people throughout southern New Jersey and the Delaware Valley. For over thirty years, the PSNJ has brought exceptional music to the area in a way that is accessible to patrons of all ages and backgrounds. They are the largest all-volunteer ensemble in the region, and their diverse group of dedicated members performs multiple sold-out performances each year to audiences of over 1200 patrons. Their members, who take the stage each week hailing from myriad professional and personal backgrounds, do so for the simple love of music and community.
