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Queensland Symphony Orchestra names Umberto Clerici as new Chief Conductor
Umberto Clerici is becoming the new Chief Conductor of QSO on 1 January 2023
Queensland Symphony Orchestra names Umberto Clerici as new Chief Conductor.
QSO has announced Umberto Clerici as its new Chief Conductor starting on 1 January 2023 for a three-year term.
After a career spanning more than 20 years as a gifted cello soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, Maestro Clerici moved on from his role of Principal Cello of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2021 to focus on his rapidly acclaimed conducting career. Maestro Clerici will take over the baton from Johannes Fritzsch, one of Australia’s top international conductors and a musical leader credited with building QSO into the world-class orchestra it is today.
In making the announcement, QSO Acting Chair Rod Pilbeam said Maestro Clerici had already led QSO in four major concerts in 2021 including the Season Closing Gala, each to wonderful reviews. His first performances as Chief Conductor Designate will be next month’s Maestro Series featuring Mahler’s 1st Symphony and with soloist Daniel Müller-Schott performing Elgar’s cello concerto, before returning in July for the Fantasy and Folklore program.
QSO Acting Chair Rod Pilbeam said:
Maestro Umberto Clerici will become Chief Conductor in 2023, bringing a deep and rich understanding of music as both a musician and a conductor to the QSO podium.
As one of Queensland’s largest performing arts organisations, QSO demands an inclusive and visionary musical leader. We could not be more thrilled with this appointment, especially given Maestro Clerici has already led the Orchestra to standing ovations in the Concert Hall and has an intimate understanding of our commitment to share the power of music across all corners of the state.
Of his appointment, Clerici says:
I’m not just honoured to share the QSO Chief Conductor’s title with great musicians but I’m also grateful to them for helping create, in the past 75 years, the QSO of today. My path to the podium came after 20 years as a cellist, both as soloist and orchestral, which means that I have shared the stage with a wide variety of conductors for many years, and in many parts of the world. This creates not only a different perspective on what the role of the conductor is for the musicians, but has also given me the opportunity to explore repertoire from inside the orchestra.
Maestro Clerici joins a roll call of extraordinary conductors who have led QSO over 75 years including John Farnsworth Hall, Rudolf Pekarek, Stanford Robinson, Ezra Rachlin, Patrick Thomas, Vanco Cavdarski, Werner Andreas Albert, Muhai Tang, Michael Christie, Alondra de la Parra, and Johannes Fritzsch. Maestro Fritzsch will continue as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor until the end of the 2022 season, assume Principal Guest Conductor responsibilities in 2023, and resume the position of Conductor Laureate in 2024.
The appointment comes just four weeks after QSO named one of the country’s leading and most exciting arts professionals Yarmila Alfonzetti as Chief Executive.
Over 75 years QSO has grown to become Queensland’s largest performing arts organisation, home to 107 musicians and arts workers who create and deliver unique musical experiences across the huge state, ensuring all Queenslanders can experience the power of live music.
Source: Queensland Symphony Orchestra
