It’s The Start of Something BIG in Bridgeport, as the Greater Bridgeport Symphony (GBS) continues their search for a new Music Director and Principal Conductor to take the baton from the beloved Eric Jacobsen who stepped down after nine years, in 2023. GBS has conducted a nationwide search to find a worthy successor and that person will be announced at the close of this, their 79th season.
The search began with Eduardo Leandro on April 13 as he conducted Prokofiev’s “Classical Symphony,” Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto #1” (with GBS’ own Nicholas Hardie on cello), and Beethoven’s “Symphony #8” to great reviews. “It’s really electric right now,” says GBS President Mark Halstead of the process. “We had the first candidate, Eduardo Leandro, conduct for us all last season, with his ‘audition concert” last April, and now we’re looking forward to our other candidates this October, November and December. In January, we will choose one, and then work with the winner toward their debut concert as Music Director in May.”
On Saturday, October 5, the countdown continues as Joshua Gersen takes the podium at GBS’ season opener at The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, with Countdown 3: Gersen! Gersen, who recently concluded his tenure as Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, has chosen “Mozart’s Symphony #40,” “Fate Now Conquers” by Carlos Simon, and Tchaikovsky’s thrilling “Symphony #4” to showcase his conducting talents. This won’t be Gersen’s first time on the GBS podium. A musical prodigy who grew up right here in Monroe, he was chosen as a teenager in the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras (now GCTYO) to guest conduct GBS in the 1980s. “It’s a real thrill to have a bona fide local talent, by way of the world, come to us as a potential Music Director,” Halstead said. The concert will begin at 7:30 PM (new time for all concerts), preceded by a Pre-Concert Talk and a Q-and-A session with Gersen after the show.
Then, on November 9, candidate Leslie Dunner will lead GBS in Countdown 2: Dunner! December 14 brings Countdown 1: Waddell! with joyous Classical and holiday sounds conducted by the final candidate, Rachel Waddell. GBS’ final concert of the season, appropriately called, Something Big! will introduce the winning candidate on Saturday, May 10, 2025 ushering in GBS’ gala 80th Season in 2025-26.
“What an exciting season – a showcase of the finalists in our Music Director search!” exclaims an ebullient Phyllis Cortese, GBS’ Executive Director. “Together, with the extraordinary talents of these remarkable guest conductors, we are thrilled to present an enriching musical journey. With each performance, our GBS musicians bring their expertise and passion to the stage, igniting a memorable experience for all ages. We extend an open invitation and a warm welcome to all as we kick off our 79th season.”
Tickets range from $18.00 to $72.00 and are available at www.GBS.org/tickets or by calling (203)576-0263. Kids under 19 are now free! Full-season Gold Subscriptions are available at the same prices as the past several years, from $85 to $255 per seat (with one free "Bring-a-Friend" seat). GBS has kept subscriber seats from 2019 reserved for those who have not felt comfortable coming back after the Pandemic yet, however as of the first concert this season, those reserved seats not claimed will be made available for sale again.