McCall Music Society Names Eric Garcia as
New SummerFest Artistic Director and Conductor Beginning in 2019
McCall Music Society will present SummerFest in July of 2019 with a new Artistic Director and Conductor. A McCall, Idaho tradition since 2012, next year’s event welcomes Boise Philharmonic Music Director, Eric Garcia, as he begins his tenure at the festival helm.
Praised for his “elegant and expressive” conducting, Garcia’s Boise Philharmonic season debuts September 7 and 8, 2018, in Nampa and Boise, Idaho. He previously served as Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, conducting subscription, education, pops and community concerts. He served as producer for recordings on the Naxos label and conductor for Brandi Carlile’s acclaimed Columbia Records release, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony. He has collaborated with such esteemed artists as Marvin Hamlisch, Herbie Hancock, Cirque de la Symphonie, Pink Martini, The Chieftains, Assad Brothers and Indigo Girls.
Garcia has served as Associate Conductor of the Eastern Music Festival and cover conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has served as guest conductor with Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Octava Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Seattle, Philharmonia Northwest, Rainier Symphony, Northwest Festival Orchestra, Greensboro Ballet, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Boychoir, Pacific Youth Choir, Seattle Chamber Singers and Vocalpoint Seattle. Last season marked Garcia’s debuts with Symphony New Hampshire and Ballet Idaho.
An avid supporter of contemporary music, Garcia has collaborated with such esteemed composers as John Adams, Sergio Assad, George Crumb, Frank Ferko, David Lang, Lowell Lieberman, Nico Muhly, Eric Nathan and Jay Alan Yim. In addition, Garcia has served as principal conductor at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy.
Garcia was a member of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and was a recipient of the Bruno Walter Foundation Scholarship at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. He received a Doctorate of Music and Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in Music Theory from the University of Texas at Austin.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining McCall Music Society SummerFest as Music Director! This vibrant summer festival is a crown jewel, and I cannot wait to collaborate with the incredible musicians, board and staff to build on its already spectacular legacy.”
—Eric Garcia
SummerFest is the area’s only classical and pops orchestra concert series. The fifty-member SummerFest orchestra is comprised of regional and national musicians who travel to McCall for the week and play three or four programs of wide-ranging music. Each concert usually features a soloist who collaborates with the orchestra. Special guests, specific programs and concert dates for 2019 will be announced as they become available.
