Seven musicians new to the Atlanta Symphony are joining the orchestra for its 73rd season, which begins Thursday, Sept. 21, with George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, “A Thousand Words” by ASO bassist Michael Kurth and Bernstein’s jazz-inspired Symphony No. 2 with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Details HERE.
The hires, which bring the ASO to 83 players, were made possible by the $25 million Musicians’ Endowment Campaign that reached its goal two seasons ahead of schedule. The new players are Thomas Carpenter, cello; Anthony Georgeson, associate principal bassoon; Julianne Lee, principal second violin; Joseph Petrasek, principal percussion; Madeline Sharp, viola; Michael Stubbart, percussion; and Sissi Yuqing Zhang, violin.
Here are a few more details on each.
THOMAS CARPENTER: The Virginia native has a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, completed his master’s degree with Norman Fischer at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and has been a cellist with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Fla. Through New World he traveled to Medellin, Colombia, for a program with Universidad EAFIT, which teaches students from Colombia and Chile.
ANTHONY GEORGESON: Has been the principal bassoonist of the Florida Orchestra in Tampa Bay (2007-17), acting principal bassoonist of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and a member of the New World Symphony. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his master’s degree from the Juilliard School.
JULIANNE LEE: Comes from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where she was assistant principal second violin. She has toured with the Marlboro Music Festival and as guest principal violist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She graduated with a unanimous first prize from the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris in France, has bachelor’s degrees in violin and viola performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory.
JOSEPH PETRASEK: The Southern California native was the associate principal percussionist of the Kansas City Symphony for eight seasons and a percussion fellow with the New World Symphony. He earned his bachelor’s degree at UCLA and his master’s degree at Temple University.
MADELINE SHARP: Officially joins the ASO’s viola section after last season’s one-year appointment. She, too, was a member of the New World Symphony and has played with the Minnesota Orchestra, Houston Symphony and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as being a member of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, Calif. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School.
MICHAEL STUBBART: Before joining the ASO, the metro Atlanta native spent two seasons with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra in Honolulu as acting principal percussion. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a master’s degree from the Shepherd School at Rice University.
SISSI YUQING ZHANG: received her bachelor and master of music degrees from the Juilliard School. Before joining the ASO, she was studying for her master of musical arts degree at Yale School of Music, where she was concertmaster of the Yale Philharmonia and the Yale Opera. She is a founding member of the Hsin Trio, part of the Juilliard Honors Chamber Music, which made its debut recital at New York’s Alice Tully Hall.
