Meet the 2023 Interlochen Arts Camp ensemble conductors

JoAnn Falletta, Cristian Măcelaru, and Gemma New headline the star-studded World Youth Symphony Orchestra season that will feature major symphonic works by Beethoven, Mahler, and Shostakovich.

JoAnn Falletta, Cristian Măcelaru, Erina Yashima, Jader Bignamini, Gemma New, and Jung-Ho Pak

Top row, L-R: JoAnn Falletta, Cristian Măcelaru, and Erina Yashima.
Bottom row, L-R: Jader Bignamini, Gemma New, and Jung-Ho Pak. 

Musicians in Interlochen Arts Camp’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Interlochen Philharmonic, and World Youth Wind Symphony will perform an exciting repertoire under the batons of acclaimed guest conductors during the summer 2023 season.

Each conductor will spend several days rehearsing with the ensemble before leading the band or orchestra in their end-of-the-week performance. All performances—with the exception of the final performance, “Les Préludes”—will be held in Interlochen’s picturesque Kresge Auditorium.

The 2023 World Youth Symphony Orchestra guest conductors are:

  • July 2, 2023: JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor at the Brevard Music Center
  • July 9, 2023: Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and Musical Director of the Orchestre National de France
  • July 16, 2023: Erina Yashima, Assistant Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra
  • July 23, 2023: Jader Bignamini, Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
  • July 30, 2023: Gemma New, Principal Conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Aug. 6, 2023 (“Les Préludes”): Jung-Ho Pak, Artistic Director, Bay Philharmonic 

Repertoire highlights for the 2023 World Youth Symphony Orchestra season include:

  • Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 by Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 by Max Bruch
  • Symphony No. 1 in E Minor by Florence Price
  • Symphony No. 1 in D Major by Gustav Mahler
  • “Icarus” by Lera Auerbach
  • Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93 by Dmitri Shostakovich
  • Selections from Romeo & Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev
  • “Les Préludes,” Franz Liszt

The conductors for the 2023 Interlochen Philharmonic are:

The conductors for the 2023 World Youth Wind Symphony are:

Full repertoire for all three ensembles and Valade Concertmasters will be announced at a later date.

Applications for Interlochen Arts Camp 2023 are now open—start your application today! Have questions about the application process? Contact the Office of Admission and Financial Aid at 800.681.5912 or 231.276.7472 or admission@interlochen.org.