Appleton,
WI – The Fox Valley Symphony Orchestras (FVSO) is delighted to
announce Dr. Kevin Sütterlin renewed his contract as Music Director for another
three years, starting with the 2022-23 season.
Sütterlin became music director and
conductor of the ensemble in 2019 after the departure of Brian Groner, who had
been with the orchestra for 25 years.
Dr. Sütterlin is currently Director
of Orchestral Activities and Opera at Concordia College, co-Music Director of
Sinfonietta Memphis, Principal Guest Conductor of the Qingdao Concert Hall
Symphony in China, Director of Orchestra and Conducting Studies at Lutheran
Summer Music, and Artistic Director of the Northern Valley Youth Orchestras (Full
bio is below).
FVSO musicians received the news
during their March concert cycle, and Concertmaster Yuliya Smead commented, “His
musicality and enthusiasm is contagious, and he makes rehearsals and
performances incredibly enjoyable. Kevin creates a unified ensemble while still
respecting the individuality of each player. I am really looking forward to
many years of wonderful music making under his baton.”
“Kevin has an innate sense of how to
guide the orchestra to their best performance while also telling a story to our
audience with each piece,” says Executive Director Jamie LaFreniere. “His focus
on diverse composers and guest artists allows us to make everyone feel
represented and welcome as he continues to build bridges through music. It has
been wonderful to see people respond to him on the stage, in the hall, and in
our community.”
“In his short tenure, Kevin has demonstrated remarkable
leadership,” says Mike Lokensgard, FVSO Board President. “The ensemble has
rarely sounded better, and his selection of repertoire has been exactly what we
need to attract a new generation of audience members. We are lucky to have him
and are eager to see and hear what the Symphony will be able to achieve over
the next three years under his guidance.”
For more information on the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra,
visit www.foxvalleysymphony.com.
About Dr. Kevin Sütterlin:
Dr.
Kevin F.E. Sütterlin is an internationally sought-after conductor and
pedagogue. He belongs to Beyond Artists, a coalition of artists that donates a
percentage of their concert fees to organizations they care about. He supports
“WIRES” (Australian Wildlife Rescue) and the “Memphis Music Initiative” through
his performances.
Sütterlin
is Director of Orchestral Activities and Opera at Concordia College, where he
and his colleagues received two EMMY awards for 2016’s nationally broadcast
Concordia Christmas Concert productions. The Concordia Orchestra won the
prestigious American Prize competition in 2018-19 under his leadership.
Sütterlin is Music Director of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra since 2019 and
Co-Music Director of Sinfonietta Memphis since 2014, an ensemble that provides
free concerts and educational experiences for the Greater Memphis communities.
Perhaps the only orchestra in the U.S. with a co-music directorship model,
Sinfonietta Memphis’s conductors Dr. Mathias Elmer and Sütterlin proudly
represent the orchestra’s credo: friendship through music. They also co-direct
The Sinfonietta Academy for Historically Informed Performance Practice which
was recently recognized as one of the country’s leading period performance
practice institutes. In 2019, Sütterlin was named Principal Guest Conductor of
the Qingdao Concert Hall Symphony in China, and in 2021 Honorary Conductor of
K-Classic Orchestras, a Korean organization dedicated to contributing to world
peace through musical and cultural exchange. With a great love and passion for
teaching, Sütterlin is also Artistic Director of the Northern Valley Youth Orchestras
and holds The Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Endowed Orchestra Chair of the
Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival, directing the organization’s
orchestral and conducting programs.
Considering
himself a “citizen of the world,” Sütterlin has been building musical bridges
across four different continents and has led his ensembles on many successful
national and international tours. He has performed and taught across the globe
including Austria, China, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia,
Switzerland, and the United States. He has taught at Shanghai Conservatory,
Sichuan Conservatory, University of Cape Town, University of Hawaii, Lucerne
Conservatory Switzerland, University of Memphis, and Virginia Tech University.
Highlights of his upcoming guest conducting season include engagements with the
National Opera of Chile Chamber Orchestra, Namibia National Symphony Orchestra,
Brescia Music Festival Italy, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Arizona State
University. Sütterlin received his doctorate and master’s degrees in orchestral
conducting from The University of Memphis and a bachelor’s degree in conducting
from the Hochschule Luzern-Musik, Switzerland.
About the Fox
Valley Symphony Orchestra:
The
Symphony's mission is to enrich and nurture the human spirit through inclusive symphonic
music and education. Founded in 1966, the non-profit provides the community
with orchestra concerts, community outreach programming, and three Youth
Orchestra programs. Music Director Dr. Kevin Sütterlin leads the adult
orchestra, with Mark Dupere conducting Youth Orchestra, Greg Austin conducting Concert
Orchestra and Adam Brown conducting Philharmonia.
