| Kirk Trevor to step down at the end of the Missouri Symphony's 2021 Summer Music Festival |
| Columbia, MO —February 9, 2021 — The Missouri Symphony (MOSY) announced today that its highly respected and long-serving music director and conductor, Kirk Trevor, will step down from the organization on July 31, 2021. Trevor has been music director of the Columbia based symphony since 2000. "While every conductor likes to think that he will remain as music director till the day he dies, there comes a time when even the vainest of us realize it is time for us to move on," Trevor said. "After 21 glorious years with MOSY, I decided that if I wanted to start a new chapter in my long career, then I should do so sooner than later. I wish to remain with my family in Columbia but move on to new projects, including teaching and mentoring young musicians, as well as resuming my long career as a recording conductor and conducting teacher around the world after an 18-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic." "All of us at MOSY share deep gratitude for Kirk's unceasing commitment to the organization as our music director for the past two decades," said Tina Workman, president, board of directors. "We are thankful to Kirk for his leadership in the Missouri Symphony Orchestra and his generous commitment to developing our student musicians at the Missouri Symphony Conservatory." The Conservatory, founded by Trevor in 2007, provides young musicians in the mid-Missouri area with holistic music education by nurturing and challenging their musical and personal development. The Missouri Symphony Conservatory also strives to create lifelong music advocates by fostering a community-wide connection to music and the arts. Those students and the many more MOSY will serve in the coming decades are at the heart of MOSY's mission. "Over the 14 years I have led the Conservatory, I have been proud to watch the progress of outstanding young instrumentalists and singers develop into not only into great young artists but also outstanding human beings," Trevor said. Trevor was instrumental in developing many of the MOSY programs audiences know and love, including the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival, the Symphony of Toys holiday concert and the Young Peoples Concert held annually for third graders at Columbia Public Schools. "I will always feel grateful for the wonderful 21 years the Missouri Symphony has given me to develop my lifelong goal of making a positive impact on people's lives through the gift of music," Trevor said. The Missouri Symphony is currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary. While many of the planned festivities were delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic, Trevor's departure amidst this milestone enables the organization to recognize his many contributions to MOSY while planning for the next 50 years of musical excellence. Accordingly, Trevor will be designated conductor emeritus on August 1, 2021. This organizational transition comes as MOSY and cultural institutions worldwide collectively respond to a shifting environment while exploring new opportunities and ways to engage with communities and audiences, locally and beyond. "The last year has certainly presented us with challenges," said Trent Rash, MOSY executive director. "Yet, we will continue to build on Maestro Trevor's dedication to presenting dynamic symphonic music at the highest level of artistic quality and greater access to arts education for all for generations to come." |
| -More- |
| About Kirk Trevor Kirk Trevor has made a global impact in orchestral performances, recordings and conducting teaching. He started his career as resident conductor of the Dallas Symphony before becoming music director of both the Knoxville Symphony and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. In 1995 he became chief conductor of the Martinu Philharmonic in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra's principal guest conductor. As an educator, he is acknowledged internationally as a leading conducting teacher with workshops on four continents. He has held full-time faculty positions with the University of Tennessee, Ball State University and the Eastman School of Music. Trevor is one of the world's most recorded conductors with more than 120 albums to his name. He became music director of the Missouri Symphony Orchestra in 2000 and founded the Missouri Symphony Conservatory in 2007. Read more about Trevor's tenure and achievements in his bio. themosy.org/kirk-trevor About the Missouri Symphony (MOSY) Founded in 1970, The Missouri Symphony strives to enhance and increase the cultural awareness of symphonic music in mid-Missouri by engaging professional artists and educating young musicians through exceptional music performance. Based in Columbia, Missouri, MOSY includes the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, the Missouri Symphony Conservatory and the Missouri Symphony League. themosy.org |
| Media Contact: Wende Wagner Director of Marketing and Development 573.875.0600, ext. 1 | wende@themosy.org |
| ### |
