NEW DELHI: After making news in acting and pop music, Indian-origin Americans are now also creating waves in more sober music.
Sameer Patel, an Indian-origin musician who lives in the United States, has been appointed assistant conductor of the San Diego Symphony.
Patel was among the 165 applicants and succeeds Ken-Davis Masur, who moves to the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
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Patel will cover all Jacobs Masterworks classical subscription concerts, conducting the Family Festival series, Young People’s Concerts and additional concerts throughout the season, the orchestra company said in a press release.
Patel was most recently associate conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and conducted the orchestra in over 100 performances.
In 2013, he was one of six conductors selected by the League of American Orchestras for the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, an event that showcases emerging and talented conductors to orchestra industry professionals.
He was a 2011 Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholar, an honour given to him by former New York Philharmonic Music Director Kurt Masur. As part of this award, Patel travelled to Europe to study with and assist Maestro Masur with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Patel also returned as a guest conductor at the Jacksonville Symphony last month for five programs over the course of 10 days. He had also worked with the orchestra at the League of American Orchestras 2013 National Conductor Preview. During his visit Patel conducted a concert for Jacksonville Symphony donors, a concert featuring The Beach Boys, two outdoor programs, and a concert with Peabo Bryson. Patel also made his debut with the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California, in April. He is also expected to leading the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in the 2015 – 2016.
