David Itkin, Music Director

The 2012–2013 sea­son marks Mae­stro David Itkin’s 8th sea­son as Music Direc­tor and Con­duc­tor of the Abi­lene Phil­har­monic, his 6th sea­son as Music Direc­tor and Con­duc­tor of the Las Vegas Phil­har­monic, and his 5th year serv­ing as Pro­fes­sor of Music and Direc­tor of Orches­tral Stud­ies at the Uni­ver­sity of North Texas Col­lege of Music. Fol­low­ing a dis­tin­guished 17-year tenure, Mae­stro Itkin was named Con­duc­tor Lau­re­ate of the Arkansas Sym­phony Orches­tra in July 2010.

Dur­ing past sea­sons Mae­stro Itkin’s career has taken him to 44 U.S. states and 15 coun­tries in Europe, the Mid­dle East, and Asia, includ­ing con­certs and record­ings with the Win­nipeg Sym­phony Orches­tra, the Sloven­ska Fil­ha­monija, the San Diego Sym­phony, and the Seoul Phil­har­monic. Other guest con­duct­ing appear­ances include con­certs with the Col­orado Phil­har­monic, the Annapo­lis Sym­phony, the National Reper­tory Orches­tra, the Illi­nois Sym­phony, the Delaware Sym­phony, the New Hamp­shire Sym­phony, the Cheyenne Sym­phony, and the Indi­anapo­lis, Bal­ti­more, and Reno Cham­ber Orches­tras. Dur­ing the Sum­mer of 2006 Mae­stro Itkin appeared once again with the Sloven­ska Fil­har­monija in Ljubl­jana, Slove­nia, con­duct­ing the open­ing con­cert of the 14th World Sax­o­phone Congress.

Mr. Itkin’s first film score (“Sugar Creek”) was recorded in 2006 by the Arkansas Sym­phony for the film’s 2007 release. His most recent major work, “Exo­dus”, an ora­to­rio, was pre­miered in April 2005 in Lit­tle Rock, with William Shat­ner nar­rat­ing. “Exo­dus” was released world­wide on CD in 2007. In May 2009 Mae­stro Itkin was awarded both an Hon­orary Doc­tor­ate of Humane Let­ters by Lyon Col­lege and the Above the Barre award by Bal­let Arkansas.

In addi­tion to his pro­fes­sional sched­ule, Mae­stro Itkin reg­u­larly serves as a guest conductor/clinician, includ­ing con­certs with the Arkansas All-State Orches­tra, the South­ern Cal­i­for­nia High School Hon­ors Orches­tra, and sev­eral Texas all-region Hon­ors Orches­tras. This sea­son he will serve as conductor/clinician for the Maine All-State Orches­tra and the Las Vegas Senior Hon­ors Orchestra.

Also in demand as a speaker and lec­turer, Mr. Itkin has been asked to lec­ture for a wide vari­ety of orga­ni­za­tions, includ­ing Sil­verSea cruise lines, two con­sec­u­tive years as a fea­tured lec­turer for the Arkansas Governor’s School, the Texas Asso­ci­a­tion of Sym­phony Orches­tras, and a keynote address at the National Fed­er­a­tion of Music Clubs national conference.

Mae­stro Itkin’s pre­vi­ous posi­tions include serv­ing as Music Direc­tor and Con­duc­tor of the Arkansas Sym­phony Orches­tra for 17 sea­sons (1993–2010), Music Direc­tor and Prin­ci­pal Con­duc­tor of the Lake For­est Sym­phony Orches­tra in Chicago (1997–2000), Music Director/Conductor of the Kingsport Sym­phony (Tenn.) (1992–1995), Music Direc­tor of the Birm­ing­ham Opera The­atre (1992–1995), and Music Direc­tor for the Lucius Woods Fes­ti­val Con­certs in Solon Springs, Wis­con­sin (1993–2000). From 1988 to 1993 he served as Asso­ciate Con­duc­tor of the Alabama Sym­phony Orches­tra, dur­ing which time he was made Hon­orary Lt. Gov­er­nor of the State of Alabama for out­stand­ing ser­vice to the Arts.