Austin Chanu and Tristan Rais-Sherman to serve as conducting fellows,
following the conclusion of terms for Assistant Conductor Erina Yashima
and Conducting Fellow Lina Gonzalez-Granados
(Philadelphia, February 08, 2022)—The Philadelphia Orchestra announces the appointment of two new conducting fellows beginning September 2022: Austin Chanu andTristan Rais-Sherman. Both Chanu and Rais-Sherman will serve as cover conductor for, and provide assistance to, Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and guest conductors. In addition to these responsibilities, they will participate in residency, touring, and educational activities and will lead select community programs.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Orchestra’s commitment to cultivating the next generation of conductors, and I love working with our future musical leaders,” said Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “We are excited to welcome Austin and Tristan to our Orchestra family and look forward to benefitting from their unique perspectives in the new season.”
Chanu and Rais-Sherman will assume their roles following the terms of Assistant Conductor Erina Yashima and Conducting Fellow Lina Gonzalez-Granados at the end of the 2021–22 season. Yashima has been appointed
first conductor of the Komische Oper Berlin and Gonzalez-Granados has been named resident conductor of the Los Angeles Opera.
“Working with Erina and Lina has been deeply meaningful and inspiring,” added Nézet-Séguin. “Witnessing their growth and watching them take the conducting world by storm has brought me tremendous joy. I am so very proud to tell the world they come from Philadelphia, and we wish them both great success in their well-deserved and distinguished new positions.”
Born and raised in San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Austin Chanu is currently an assistant conductor of the Eastman Philharmonia and Eastman School Symphony. Studying to pursue his DMA in orchestral conducting, he is also president of Eastman’s student-run contemporary ensemble, OSSIA New Music, for the 2021–22 season. He is scheduled to debut as a guest conductor and guest assistant with the Omaha Symphony in March 2022.
Chanu has previously guest assisted for the Rochester Philharmonic and was a woodwind performer for musical pit orchestras in the greater Los Angeles area. In addition, he was music director for the Los Angeles Music and Art School, where he participated in community events and oversaw the development of the curriculum and artistic direction of the ensembles. He also conducted the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's New Music Salon and served at the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Associate Composer Program as a teaching artist and conductor.
Chanu received a bachelor’s degree in music composition from the USC Thornton School of Music, where he earned the Most Valuable Player Award as a conductor and proponent of new music. After studying under Neil Varon, he graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting.
Tristan Rais-Sherman is currently a guest conductor at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where he explores the intersection of music and technology. He is passionate about building audiences and inspiring the next generation of musicians in innovative ways, including streaming on digital platforms and exploring classical music through interactive mediums. Rais-Sherman has appeared with orchestras around the world, including the Aurora Festival Symphony, the Dartington Festival Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, the Berlin Sinfonietta, the Chelsea Symphony, the Lamont School of Music Orchestra, the University of Michigan Symphony, and the Ithaca College Symphony.
Rais-Sherman previously served as cover conductor with the NEC Philharmonia, the St. Louis Symphony, Tulsa Opera, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, and Syracuse Opera. He has also served as director of orchestras at the Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School, assistant conductor of the New York Youth Symphony, conductor of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra String Ensemble, and artistic director of the Hilltop Music Collective in Greenwich, CT. In addition, he was a conductor of the Harmony Program Youth Orchestra, leading the group in high-profile performances alongside mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and as a part of Gustavo Dudamel’s 2018 Residency at Princeton University.
Rais-Sherman earned a bachelor’s degree in cello performance from Ithaca College, as well as a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan and an artist diploma from the New England Conservatory.
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About The Philadelphia Orchestra
About Yannick Nézet-Séguin
About the 2021–22 Season
About the Digital Stage
Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Strategies (IDEAS)
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