UC Davis alum Fawzi Haimor has been named the fourth music director of the Marin Symphony Orchestra. In the upcoming season he will conduct the orchestra in works that include, among others, classics such as Dimitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto, Johannes Brahms’s Second Symphony, and works by living composers, such as the American composer Valerie Coleman’s Umoja and New Zealand-Greek composer John Psathas’s Tarantismo.
“It’s an incredible honor to join the Marin Symphony as its next music director. Having spent most of my life in the Bay Area, the chance to collaborate with these exceptional musicians and serve a community I care so deeply about — our community — feels both personal and profound," Haimor said in a press release. "From the very first rehearsal, I was struck by the orchestra’s sense of purpose, artistic integrity and collective commitment to excellence. I’ve always believed that an orchestra’s role extends beyond the stage — it’s about connection, belonging and enriching lives through music. To contribute to that spirit here in Marin is a true privilege, and I can’t wait to begin.”
Haimor joins the orchestra after a number of years guest conducting around the world, including recently collaborating in the premiere performance of John Psathas’s Ahlan wa Sahlan with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, oud player Kyriakos Tapakis and vocalist OUM.
From 2017 to 2020, Haimor was music director of the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany, and together they made four recordings, including the recently-released “The Being of Love” with music of Reza Vali. This fall he will return to Indiana University Bloomington to conduct Maurice Ravel’s opera L’enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Spells). It was early in his career at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music that Haimor got a secondary master’s degree in conducting.
Haimor earned his B.A. and first M.A. studying music in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis. As an undergraduate, he double majored, also earning a degree in neurobiology, physiology and behavior from the College of Biological Sciences.
He is a fan of Beethoven, basketball and lives in the Bay Area with his wife, four children, and several cats and chickens.
Check out the Marin County Symphony's upcoming season.
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