Philip Wilder to step down as Executive Director of New Century Chamber Orchestra

PHILIP WILDER TO STEP DOWN AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEW CENTURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

 
San Francisco, CA – March 2, 2020 – After six years as Executive Director of New Century Chamber Orchestra, Philip Wilder announced to the Orchestra, Board and Staff that he will step down from his position at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season. In the fall of 2020, Mr. Wilder will assume the role of President & General Director of the GRAMMY Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, where he began his career in music as a member of the ensemble in 1990.
 
“Philip Wilder’s inspired leadership as Executive Director of the New Century Chamber Orchestra has been transformative for the organization,” commented New Century Board President Mark Salkind. “During the past six years, Philip has dramatically expanded the orchestra’s footprint and reach, leading the search that brought the internationally renowned violinist, Daniel Hope, to New Century as Music Director, engaging celebrated guest artists, instituting innovative programming and partnerships, and undertaking the orchestra’s first-ever and enormously successful European tour in 2019. Although he will be greatly missed, we all wish him the greatest success in the next chapter of his career.” 
 
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Executive Director of New Century Chamber Orchestra,” remarked Philip Wilder. “The Board of Directors, musicians and staff approach their work with a boldness, generosity, and fearlessness that has allowed me to expand the orchestra’s activities on all fronts. In collaboration with Music Director Daniel Hope, we have broadened the reach of New Century to an international audience, and mounted the most venturesome repertoire in the organization’s history. I look forward to cheering on the orchestra as it continues on this exciting path.”
 
Mr. Wilder became Executive Director of New Century Chamber Orchestra in July, 2014 and led the organization through six seasons including the launch of the Orchestra’s first-ever festival during its milestone 25^th anniversary. Mr. Wilder presided over a time of unprecedented growth for the organization, increasing charitable contributions by 30% and ticket sales by 21%, and founding an education outreach initiative entitled “Hall Pass” offering free access to over 1,500 students and at-risk seniors at 31 Bay Area schools and service organizations. Under Mr. Wilder’s leadership, New Century appointed British violinist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Daniel Hope as Music Director succeeding Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg; embarked on its debut European tour with performances at the acclaimed Leonard Bernstein-founded Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Philharmonie Essen; and led commissioning projects for four major new works for string orchestra, including Philip Glass’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
 
“Philip Wilder has been a driving force behind the success of New Century Chamber Orchestra. He was responsible for bringing me to this exceptional Orchestra, for which I shall always be grateful,” said Music Director Daniel Hope. “During our time together, we have worked tirelessly and successfully, and whilst I am very sad to see him depart, I congratulate him wholeheartedly on this exciting new role.”
 
New Century Chamber Orchestra concludes its 2019-2020 season with four Bay Area performances May 13-17 featuring works from Daniel Hope’s best-selling Deutsche Grammophon album Spheres. The San Francisco Girls Chorus make their third appearance with the Orchestra in a varied program of works including Gabriel Prokofiev’s Spheres, Phillip Glass’s Echorus, Michael Nyman’s Trysting Fields, Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Karsten Gundermann’s Faust, Mars and Jupiter from Gustav Holst’s The Planets, and The Starkiller from John Williams’s soundtrack to Star Wars. 
 
ABOUT NEW CENTURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
One of only a handful of conductorless chamber ensembles in the world, New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 and includes 19 string players from the San Francisco Bay Area as well throughout the United States. Musical decisions are made collaboratively, resulting in an enhanced level of commitment from the musicians and concerts of remarkable precision, passion, and power. In the 2017-2018 season, British violinist Daniel Hope served as the ensemble’s Artistic Partner and concertmaster and was appointed beginning in the 2018-2019 season as the ensemble’s Artistic Director, bringing a new era of vibrancy and leadership. Previous music directors of the ensemble include Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (2008-2017), Krista Bennion Feeney (1999-2006) and Stuart Canin (1992-1999).
 
In addition to performing beloved masterworks from the chamber orchestra repertoire, New Century commissions important new works, breathes new life into rarely heard jewels of the past and frequently performs world premieres. Through its Featured Composer program, composers are commissioned to write new works for the orchestra, with the goals of expanding the repertoire and providing audiences with a deeper understanding and appreciation of today’s living composers.
 
Beyond regular season concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area, New Century has toured nationally including 2011 performances in the Midwest, East Coast, and Southern California and a 2013 eight-state national tour, the largest and most ambitious artistic undertaking in the organization’s history. In June 2019, the orchestra embarked on its first European Tour with appearances in Germany and Poland. Recent critically acclaimed recordings include From A to Z: 21st Century Concertos (May 2014), LIVE: Barber, Strauss, Mahler (November 2010) and Together (August 2009).

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