When San Jose Symphony failed, Andrew Bales came to the rescue of the musicians in the orchestra. He formed Symphony Silicon Valley (now renamed to Symphony San Jose). We didn’t have as much work, and we didn’t have a resident conductor, but we HAD work, and I’m forever grateful. He added the movie series (a live orchestra playing the soundtrack while the movie played on the big screen), which included the Lord of the Rings trilogy — surely that weekend is one I’ll never forget! He scheduled weeks of “kiddie concerts” (and I even have a photo of him helping them cross the street to get to the theater). He did the Summer Pops concerts at San Jose State University. And when Covid struck he did what he could to provide income for us.

And now we enter a new era.

Andrew is leaving at the end of this season, and it is now announced that Robert Massey has been appointed as the new general director. I look forward to seeing what he will bring to our orchestra. I’m sure there will be changes, as there usually are and should be when a new GD takes the reins.

Here is an article about the appointment (I must say it is odd that Tito Muñoz is featured at the top of the article and Robert Massey is a smaller image below that, so he is pictured here for you, nice and large … you’re welcome. ?). Sadly the Mercury News hasn’t published a word. (But they also didn’t publish a review of last weekend’s concerts. It appears we don’t exist in their eyes.)

Update: NOW there is a Merc article.

So welcome, Robert Massey, and thank you, Andrew Bales, for all you’ve done!