CARMEL IN — Carmel Symphony Orchestra Artistic Director Janna Hymes has added another post to her list of impressive career achievements.
Sedona, Arizona’s Verde Valley Sinfonietta recently announced its appointment of Hymes as Artistic Director & Conductor. Hymes was selected by an eight-member search committee, comprised of orchestral musicians and board members. The selection followed a review of audience and musician evaluations of Hymes’ early April concert with the orchestra.
Hymes has served as Artistic Director of Carmel Symphony Orchestra since 2017, and will retain that position.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to work with the Sedona orchestra in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Hymes said. “Music and nature are the perfect recipe for good health and happiness.
“And I’m equally excited to continue as Artistic Director for Carmel Symphony Orchestra,” she added. “We’ve made such tremendous strides over the past six seasons, growing the CSO into a professional orchestra, expanding programming, ramping up our educational component, and shepherding the organization through the challenges of the COVID years.
“Following every performance, without exception, I hear audience feedback about how wonderfully the orchestra is playing, how fantastic the musicians sound as we challenge them with more complex musical selections. I’m here to continue to build on all of that!
“Our 2023-24 season will be officially announced this week, and I can’t wait to see where this next season here in Carmel – the CSO’s 48th season – takes us. It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure!”
Hymes frequently appears as guest conductor with orchestras throughout the US, and also has led orchestras in Mexico, Central America and Europe. Previous positions have included Music Director of the Maine Grand Opera and the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Resident Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony, among others.
The New York City native studied under prominent conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Meier and Otto Werner-Mueller. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati. A Fulbright scholar, she also studied at the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Festival at Sandpoint (ID), and the Conductor’s Guild Institute.
