The RSO Board of Directors is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Mahl as Music Director of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra effective January 1, 2025.
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Music Director Appointment Press Release
Music Director Eric Mahl
Known for his contagious energy and passion, Mr. Mahl has solidified his place as one of the most exciting conductors of his generation. His performances captivate audiences, and through these unique musical experiences, he unleashes music’s immense power to bring positive change to the world. He is dedicated to bringing music to life for everyone, believing that it is a necessary part of a joyous and fulfilling existence.
Along with his position with the RSO, Mr. Mahl is the Music Director of the Northport Symphony Orchestra, Geneva Light Opera Company, and the Philharmonia Orchestra at Third Street, as well as Orchestra Director of the Charles Ives Music Festival. He is also the Founder and Music Director of Orchestra One, a NYC based 501c3, a community involvement and participation-based organization. Additionally, Mr. Mahl is the Music Director of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra based in Ridgefield, CT, a position he has held for ten years and that has given him the opportunity to spend a great deal of time in our community.
Maestro Mahl is looking forward to a 2024-25 season that includes engagements with Jennifer Koh, Michelle Cann, Judy Collins and more internationally renowned musicians, as well heading back to Geneva Light Opera for a production of Verdi’s Great comedy “Falstaff,” and his Carnegie Hall debut in a conducting role. As he begins his first season with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, he is looking forward to a season full of exciting and invigorating performances for the 60th anniversary season.|
Maestro Mahl leads, collaborates and performs with ensembles and soloists comprised of world-class musicians from orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra among others, as well as with Grammy Winning artists including Brandon Patrick George, Rannan Meyer, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Judy Collins. Mr. Mahl has become known for his unique and innovative programs, which highlight the rich diversity of the world, which in turn actively interests audiences of people from all backgrounds into the fold of classical music. He is constantly searching for meaningful music that is under represented in the current cannon. Most recently Mr. Mahl’s orchestral arrangements of Nathaniel Dett’s Piano music was given its world premier with the Northport Symphony, and a fresh interpretation of Florence Price’s The Oak with the Greenwich Village Orchestra was met with thunderous applause.
As a fervent supporter of new works, Mr. Mahl frequently conducts various New Music Ensembles in the Greater NYC area, including more than twenty world premieres and has commissioned nine pieces for full orchestra, as well as world premieres of fully-staged operas, ballet, and countless small and large ensemble pieces of all genres and instrumentations.
This busy musician also can be heard in unique music lecture series, library workshop series, inter-active children and family concerts, outreach programs, and concerts that explore the history and culture of a particular communities. As a passionate educator, Mr. Mahl has personally taught all ages and instruments at public andprivate schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City, and frequently works with student musicians from under-served communities.
Mr. Mahl received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Ithaca College, and continued his studies at Universite de Montreal and the State University of New York at Fredonia. He has studied with some of the foremost conducting pedagogues in the country including Marin Alsop, James Ross, Harold Farberman, and Larry Rachleff and has participated in workshops in the United States, Canada and Europe. Mr. Mahl plays trumpet and piano, and in his very limited free time continues to play in orchestral and chamber music programs. When not on the podium, his passions extend to fitness, tennis, and spending time in nature.
