The Florida Orchestra (TFO) has announced that its director Stefan Sanderling is stepping down two years sooner than anticipated.
Sanderling’s international conducting opportunities prevented him from keeping his position as principal artistic leader and Masterworks conductor. According to orchestra president Michael Pastreich, the 48-year-old conductor met with orchestra board chair Tom Farquhar in April to ask to be released from his current contract that was up in 2014.
"I wasn't surprised," said Pastreich. "I think Stefan's career is heading in a different direction."
Pastreich also said, "Our audiences have been growing quite nicely over the last three years because of Stefan's leadership."
Sanderling, who served TFO as a director for 9 years, will transition into an advisory role as conductor emeritus and artistic adviser for the 2012-13 season. He will continue to lead the orchestra in one Masterworks program each of the next two seasons.
To accommodate his sudden departure, the St. Petersburg-based orchestra will begin hosting guest conductors for the upcoming season. Some of them will be considered candidates for the artistic leadership position.
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