Published: 22 July 2011
Category: Artists

Joshua Weilerstein has been named as one of the two New York Philharmonic Assistant Conductors for the 2011–12 season, together with Case Scaglione. They will assist Music Director Alan Gilbert, The Yoko Nagae Ceschina Chair, and all guest conductors throughout the season, and will lead educational events, including School Day Concerts and Young People’s Concerts. Joshua Weilerstein will lead the Young People’s Concert on October 15, 2011, and the School Day Concerts on May 24–25.

“We went through an extensive search and are excited to have found two such accomplished and musical colleagues,” said Mr. Gilbert. “They are both extremely promising artists, and I look forward to welcoming them to the New York Philharmonic.”

Joshua Weilerstein won both the First Prize and the Audience Prize of the 2009 Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen, a day before his graduation from the New England Conservatory in May 2009. As part of the prize, he has been engaged to conduct the major Scandinavian orchestras, making his professional conducting debut in June 2009 with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Following this, he successfully conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Norrköping Symphony, Danish National Symphony, Malmö Symphony. In the 11/12 season, he will conduct the Oslo Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

In the 11/12 season, Joshua Weilerstein will also make his debut with the Northern Sinfonia, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Saarbrücken and the Toronto Symphony.

In February 2011, Joshua Weilerstein served as a Dudamel Fellow in Los Angeles and both performed and acted as cover conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, working closely with Music Director, Gustavo Dudamel. Joshua Weilerstein first worked with Gustavo Dudamel in 2007, when he was invited to appear as violin soloist with the Símon Bolívar Youth Orchestra. He continued his association with the orchestra when he became its first non-Venezuelan guest member, joining the first violin section on the orchestra’s highly acclaimed American tour. He was subsequently invited to conduct the orchestra for his debut performance as a conductor with the ensemble.

In the summer of 2009 and 2010, Joshua Weilerstein took part in the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS), where he studied with David Zinman. He was awarded the Robert J. Harth Conductor Prize and was subsequently named the winner of the Aspen Conducting Prize and is currently serving as the AMFS Assistant Conductor in the 2011 festival.

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