SPO Music Director and Conductor Sarah Ioannides announces departure in 2017
August 7, 2015
SPARTANBURG, SC — Maestra Sarah Ioannides, Music Director and Conductor of Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, has announced that she will conclude her tenure with SPO at the end of the 2016-2017 season. At the time she passes the baton to her successor, Ioannides will have been at the helm of SPO for 12 seasons.
“Spartanburg is, and always will be, an important and very special part of my life – not only for me but for my family as well. The last ten years have been musically inspiring. I am so very proud of the orchestra and everything we have accomplished,” Ioannides said. “I firmly believe the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra will continue to be successful, long into the future, standing strong as one of the premier musical establishments.”
Ioannides has led the orchestra through a period of significant artistic growth and increased community engagement. During her time with the orchestra, she has brought diverse, exciting, and innovative programs to Spartanburg, collaborating with world-renowned composers and guest artists like Evelyn Glennie, Vadim Gluzman, Dario Marianelli, and George Li. SPO has reached national acclaim under her baton and solidified its place among the most vibrant performing ensembles in the country.
Passionate about education, Ioannides and SPO began a partnership with Carnegie Hall in 2012, each year performing the “Link Up” program for thousands of Spartanburg elementary school students. And in 2014, the orchestra was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for its educational outreach.
“It has been my honor and pleasure to work with Sarah for the past year,” SPO Executive Director Kathryn Boucher said. “She is a remarkable artist who brings unmatched passion and generosity to her work. Though I will truly miss our partnership, I know I can look forward to celebrating her future accomplishments.”
“Spartanburg has been very fortunate to have a young rising star like Sarah at the artistic helm of SPO since the 2005-2006 Season. In partnership with orchestra musicians, she has raised the artistic level and reputation of SPO both locally and nationally,” Music Foundation of Spartanburg Board President Ray Dunleavy said.
In 2014, Ioannides was appointed Music Director of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, and this Fall she will be making her debuts with the Tonkunstler Orchestra in Vienna, National Symphony of Dominican Republic, and the prestigious Yale Philharmonia.
SPO principal flute and Orchestra Committee chair, Rhea Jacobus said, “I will particularly miss seeing Sarah’s wonderful capacity to forge a sensitive, unified musical poem out of what starts out as individual viewpoints… this is a phenomenal ability, and one that I have repeatedly watched with fascination and enjoyment during our rehearsals throughout the years.”
A search for Ioannides’s successor will begin immediately with the formation of a search committee consisting of community leaders and orchestra musicians.
About The Music Foundation of Spartanburg
The Music Foundation of Spartanburg is dedicated to enriching the Spartanburg community and surrounding areas through performance of classical music by the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), both for entertainment and educational outreach. Founded in 1948 and led by Music Director and Conductor Sarah Ioannides, the SPO is comprised of professional musicians from diverse backgrounds who form an ensemble capable of performing a variety of musical styles and repertoire.
