Paris Impressions

In the spirit of “Tchaikovsky’s Circles” and “Vienna Riches,” Music Director Alastair Willis presents a dramatic Parisian tableau featuring music of French masters Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, and Franck, plus highlights from Stravinsky’s music for the Ballet Russes. Aaron Nichols, guest actor.

Program

Musicians

Meet the people of the symphony here! 

David Lockington, Guest Conductor

David Lockington Biography Over the past thirty-five years, David Lockington has developed an impressive conducting career in the United States. A native of Great Britain, he served as the Music Director of the Grand Rapids Symphony from January 1999 to May 2015, and is currently the orchestra’s Conductor Laureate. He has held the position of Music Director with the Modesto Symphony since May 2007 and in March 2013, Mr. Lockington was appointed to the same position with the Pasadena Symphony. He also has a close relationship with the Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias in Spain where he is currently the orchestra’s Principal Guest Conductor, and beginning with the 15/16 season he will be one of three Artistic Partners with the Northwest Sinfonietta in Tacoma, Washington.

In addition to his current posts, since his arrival to the United States in 1978 Mr. Lockington has also held additional positions with American orchestras, including serving as Assistant Conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra and Opera Colorado and Assistant and Associate Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In May 1993 he accepted the position of Music Director of the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, assumed the title of Music Director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra in September 1995 and was Music Director of the Long Island Philharmonic for the 96/97 through 99/2000 seasons.

Mr. Lockington’s guest conducting engagements include appearances with the Saint Louis, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Oregon and Phoenix symphonies; the Rochester and Louisiana Philharmonics; and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall. Internationally, he has conducted the Northern Sinfonia in Great Britain, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in Beijing and Taiwan and led the English Chamber Orchestra on a tour in Asia.

Recent and upcoming guest conducting engagements include appearances with the New Jersey, Indianapolis, Vancouver, Utah, Pacific, Colorado, Nashville, San Diego, Syracuse, Edmonton, Alabama, Columbus and Kansas City symphonies, the Florida and Louisville Orchestras, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and the Buffalo and Calgary Philharmonics. Mr. Lockington’s summer festival activities include appearances at the Grand Teton, Colorado Music, Interlochen, Chautauqua and Eastern Music festivals.

David Lockington began his career as a cellist and was the Principal with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for two years. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Cambridge, Mr. Lockington came to the United States on a scholarship to Yale University where he received his Master’s degree in cello performance and studied conducting with Otto Werner Mueller. He was a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and served as assistant principal cellist for three years with the Denver Symphony Orchestra before turning to conducting.

Aaron Nichols, actor

Aaron Nichols is Executive Director of the South Bend Civic Theatre. He is an award-winning actor, director, and designer. After completing the Executive Program in Arts and Culture Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania, Aaron has focused on putting those lessons to work here in South Bend. 

Before taking this role at the Civic in 2017, Aaron had been an active volunteer at Civic and theatres around the region for over 15 years. He believes that a CIVIC arts organization has a responsibility to reflect its unique and vibrant community. Through curiosity and engagement, a community-based theatre must work to share everyone’s story in order to fulfill theatre’s highest goal: to be, as Oskar Eustis says, “the essential art form of democracy.” He recently directed the Civic’s production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West. When not directing, acting, or fundraising, Aaron can be found renovating his historic 1906 home on North Shore Drive with the help of his pet poodle Peeves. He would like to thank Alastair for this opportunity and looks forward to partnering with him and the Symphony again this October on West Side Story.

Aha! With Alastair (And Aaron)

Series Sponsor

Thank you to our generous series sponsor; Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series