Giancarlo Guerrero will stay with the Nashville Symphony for nearly another decade, at least. The music director has agreed to a five-year extension of his existing contract.
The new deal sets him up to become one of the longest-serving conductors in the ensemble’s history, second only to Kenneth Schermerhorn, who took over the orchestra in 1983 and directed it until his death in 2005.
Guerrero assumed his position in 2009. Under his leadership, the orchestra has garnered five of its eight Grammy Awards, presented eight world premieres and recorded nine albums.
Guerrero is a native of Costa Rica and still returns to his home country to conduct occasional performances of the Costa Rican Lyric Opera.
In addition to his duties with the Nashville Symphony, Guerrero has served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra’s Miami Residency and maintained a full calendar of performances around the United States, Latin America and Europe, including residencies at Carnegie Hall and the Sao Paulo State Symphony.
As Music Director, Guerrero chooses which music the Nashville Symphony will play and conducts most classical series performances. Associate Conductor Vinay Parameswaran largely handles the orchestra’s pops, education and community concerts; he will make his classical series debut this October.
The orchestra is currently searching for a third conductor to lead its Symphony Chorus, following the departure of Kelly Corcoran. Dr. Tucker Biddlecombe, on the faculty of Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, is serving as the choir’s Interim Director.
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