GCTYO announced an opening for Philharmonic Conductor in May and received applications from all over the world, including China, Venezuela, France, Italy, Estonia, and across the U.S. At the close of the first round of the competitive process, GCTYO invited several people to work directly with students at rehearsals. The level of talent demonstrated by each applicant is a testament to the reputation GCTYO has established within the music community.

Here are the finalists in order of the concerts they will conduct:

Born in Kraków, Poland, Patrycja Pieczara made her debut with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra in 2011. Since then, she has appeared as a guest conductor with prestigious international orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

From 2016 to 2023, Ms. Pieczara served as an Assistant Professor at the Polish leading Music Academy in Kraków, where she was also the chief conductor of the Music Academy Symphony Orchestra, guiding over 200 students annually.

Her extensive experience with youth orchestras includes collaborations with the Kraków Youth Philharmonic, L’Orchestre Atelier Ostinato in Paris, the Estonian Youth Orchestra, and youth ensembles affiliated with the Royal Academy, Royal College, and Trinity College of Music in London.

Ms. Pieczara has also conducted the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok, the Rzeszow Philharmonic, the Częstochowa Philharmonic, and the Beethoven Academy Symphony Orchestra in Poland. Internationally, she has conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Ankara and The Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra in Turkey, the Lviv Philharmonic in Ukraine, the Orchestra of the Swan in the U.K., the Oaxaca Symphony Orchestra in Mexico, the Slovakian Philharmonic in Kosice, and the Pärnu City Orchestra in Estonia.

Ms. Pieczara’s training includes studies with Neeme and Paavo Järvi at the Järvi Summer Festival in Estonia, Helmut Rilling at the International Bach Academy Stuttgart, and Mark Stringer at the Internationale Sommerakademie Wien. As an assistant conductor, she worked with Sir Neville Marriner, Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki, Jean Pascal Tortelier, Andrey Boreyko, Tadeusz Strugała, and Gabriel Chmura.

 

GCTYO’s own Hafez Taghavi, Sinfonia Violin/Viola Coach, will conduct the March concert. Hafez distinguished himself from the competition with his vision for GCTYO and his clear passion for teaching.

Hafez Taghavi is a sought-after violinist, conductor, and pedagogue. He is based mainly in the greater New York City area and is also avidly active abroad. Locally, he has performed with the Deming String Quartet, the Lotus Chamber Music Collective, the Bridgeport Symphony, the Ridgefield Symphony, and the Ives Festival Orchestra. As a soloist, Mr. Taghavi has performed concerti with several ensembles, including performances at Veronica Hagman Hall and Yale University. At the age of 18, he was described by the Danbury News Times as, “…a promising, talented soloist.”

Internationally, Mr. Taghavi has been invited to play at venues in Vienna, Bonn, Leipzig, Salzburg, Bologna, Budapest, and La Paz among many others. Some highlights from the 2023-2024 season include appearances in Spain, Italy, and the Philippines. In addition to live performances, Mr. Taghavi can be heard on numerous albums from many different genres, as well as film, TV, and video game soundtracks.

Mr. Taghavi is an active entrepreneur who owns and operates Oblique Violins LLC and was the Managing Director of Scherzo Cultural Journeys. He maintains his own private studio, the Taghavi Music Studio, and is currently on faculty at the Canterbury School, the Interharmony International Music Festival, and the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras. In addition to his business endeavors, Mr. Taghavi believes in giving back to the community and serves on the Board of Directors of Families United in Newtown. Mr. Taghavi attributes much of his success to his incredible mentors. His major musical influences and teachers are Martha Shackford, Ronda Cole, David Strom, Eric Lewis, Cal Wiersma, John Dexter, Chris Finckel, Curtis Macomber, Ransom Wilson, Chris Hisey, and the Manhattan String Quartet. Outside of music, Hafez enjoys soccer, watch collecting, and all food. He resides in Danbury, CT with his pit bull, Cornelius.

Huadong Lu will be with GCTYO from March to May and will conduct the May Concert. Mr. Lu currently resides in China and New York.

Mr. Huadong Lu grew up in Guangzhou, China. Upon graduation from the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music, he was a violinist with the Guangzhou Symphony until he came to the U.S. in 1990 with a full scholarship to study at Kent State University, Ohio. He graduated with two master’s degrees in music performance and education.

Mr. Lu started his teaching career in 1993. He taught in public schools and colleges and directed youth orchestras in the U.S., Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Guangzhou, China. His orchestras have consistently earned the highest rankings in state contests and festivals and have been selected to perform at State Music Educators Conferences in Nebraska and South Carolina. Mr. Lu has conducted concerts with his youth and high school orchestras throughout Europe and Asia. Mr. Lu is an active violinist and performs regularly with professional orchestras.

This coming season promises to be an exciting year of learning and great music-making for all GCTYO students!

For more information, visit gctyo.org or contact Executive Director Beth Ulman at 203-293-8447 or email executivedirector@gctyo.org.