Carl St.Clair

Carl Ray St.Clair (born June 5, 1952, Hochheim, Texas) is an American conductor.

St. Clair went to school in Yoakum, TX and graduated from Yoakum High School. He then attended the University of Texas. He later studied conducting with Gustav Meier at the University of Michigan and Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood.[1] He was music director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (Michigan) from 1985 to 1992, and of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra (Ithaca, NY) from 1986 to 1991. Beginning in 1986, he was an assistant conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.[2] In 1990, he was a recipient of the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award.[3] St.Clair has served on the faculty of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

In January 1990, he conducted the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for the first time, and on the success of that appearance, was named the orchestra's music director.[4] During his Pacific Symphony tenure, he and the orchestra have commissioned and recorded several works, including Richard Danielpour's An American Requiem (Reference Recordings) and Elliot Goldenthal's Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio (Sony Classical) with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Other recordings include "Radiant Voices" and "Postcard" by composer in residence Frank Ticheli (Koch International Classics), and the two piano concertos of Lukas Foss (harmonia mundi). The orchestra and St.Clair host an annual festival of American composers,[5] including "Uncharted Beauty: The Music of Lou Harrison" (2005–2006), "Los Sonidos de México" (2006–2007), and "The West — Music inspired by the American Frontier" (2007–2008).

In Europe, St.Clair was the Principal Guest Conductor of the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart from 1998–2004, where his work included a three–year recording project of the Villa–Lobos symphonies. He became Generalmusikdirektor (General Music Director, or GMD) of the Staatskapelle Weimar in 2005, a post he held for three years. In 2008 he took up the post of GMD of the Komische Oper Berlin,[1] with an initial contract of six years, but in May 2010 he resigned effective with the end of the 2009-10 season.

St.Clair has worked on the creation and implementation of various symphony education programs, including "Classical Connections", "arts-X–press" and "Class Act". He is also on the faculty at USC's Thornton School of Music. In 2006, he worked with the German Bundesjugendorchester (National Youth Orchestra).

On September 13, 2013, St. Clair was appointed Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.[6]

Personal life

On July 26, 1999, Carl lost his first son, 18-month-old Cole, when his wife Susan lost consciousness from a diabetic seizure in a nearby hot tub.[7] In November 2000 Susan and Carl had a daughter, Siena Cloe, followed by a son, Cade.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 George Loomis (2008-09-30). "A Texan takes over as music director of the Komische Oper Berlin". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  2. ↑ John Rockwell (1990-08-21). "Bernstein Leads His Annual Tanglewood Concert". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  3. ↑ Allan Kozinn (2000-03-10). "Chicago Conductor Gets $50,000 Prize". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  4. ↑ Chute, James. "Curtain falls on conductor search; Foster set standard, but now St. Clair looks to get the job". The Orange County Register, 11 February 1990.
  5. ↑ Daniel J. Wakin (2006-09-03). "In Cities Across the United States, It’s Raining Concert Halls". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  6. ↑ Yendry Miranda (2013-08-13). "Carl St.Clair es el nuevo director de la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional". La Nación. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  7. ↑ Tini Tran (1999-07-29). "Orchestra Leader, Wife Grieve Their Drowned Son, 1 1/2". LA Times. Retrieved 2013-04-11.

External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Keith Clark		 Music Director, Pacific Symphony
1990–present 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by
Jac van Steen		 Generalmusikdirektor, Staatskapelle Weimar
2005–2008 		Succeeded by
Stefan Solyom
Preceded by
Kirill Petrenko		 Generalmusikdirektor, Komische Oper Berlin
2008–2010 		Succeeded by
Patrick Lange