Phoenix Symphony Appoints Four New Musicians to Begin the 2008-09 Season

Steven Moeckel becomes the new Concertmaster and assumes the Herberger Foundation Chair.

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Symphony has appointed four new musicians for the upcoming 2008-09 season. These positions include Concertmaster, Acting Associate Principal Viola, Acting Assistant Viola and Section Viola.

Steven Moeckel will join The Phoenix Symphony as Concertmaster beginning on Opening Night, September 6, 2008. In this capacity, he will perform in concerts in all of The Phoenix Symphony's concert series. Before coming to The Phoenix Symphony, Steven Moeckel was Concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra for six seasons where he also performed as a soloist with the orchestra each year. Along with assuming the role of Concertmaster, he will also be the holder of the Herberger Foundation Chair. This position was established in the last endowment campaign in 2002 to advance The Phoenix Symphony.

An internationally acclaimed violinist, Steven Moeckel, has appeared as soloist and concert artist throughout Europe, South America and the United States. As a chamber artist, Moeckel has performed as violinist of the Makart Trio Salzburg with Erika Frieser and Dana Micacoi, and as first violinist of the Auraeus quartet in concerts throughout Europe. His notable US appearances include the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, where he performed with Leon Fleisher and Menachem Pressler, and the Sewanee Festival where he performed with Andres Diaz.

Mr. Moeckel was appointed by a search committee comprised of members of the orchestra and Music Director Michael Christie after a season-long search for a new Concertmaster. One of twelve candidates, Mr. Moeckel was the first violinist to audition in the fall of 2007. The audition process included a week of Classics concerts with the orchestra as acting Concertmaster followed by an audition for the Concertmaster audition committee.

"The hiring of a Concertmaster represents a major opportunity for a symphony orchestra," says the Virginia G. Piper Music Director, Michael Christie. "Steven and the orchestra clicked in wonderful ways during his audition period early last season. He and I share strikingly similar perspectives on music and orchestras in general and I look forward to this exciting new chapter where I believe anything will be possible and The Phoenix Symphony will no doubt benefit from his insight, curiosity and presence in this most important chair."

As well as the hiring of a new Concertmaster, The Phoenix Symphony has obtained three new additions to the viola section. Two of the Symphony's violists--Associate Principal Chiara Kingsley Dieguez and Assistant Principal Gregory Falkenstein--are on sabbatical for the upcoming 2008/09 season. Three new symphony members were hired for one-year viola positions, Mark Deatherage as Acting Associate Principal, Bonnie Yeager as Acting Assistant Principal and Christopher McKay as a Section Violist.

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More About Steven Moeckel: Born in Germany, Steven Moeckel began his musical career at an early age, first as violinist, then performing at the age of eleven as principal soprano soloist for the renowned Vienna Boys Choir. After leaving the choir, he resumed violin studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, graduating with honors at the age of nineteen. He immediately assumed the position of Co-Concertmaster of Germany's Ulm Philharmonic, where he remained for three seasons. Moeckel's principal teachers include Helmut Zehetmair, Leonidas Kavakos and the distinguished American violinist Miriam Fried.

About Mark Deatherage: Mark Deatherage received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University where his primary instructors included Mimi Zweig, Alan de Veritch and Michael Strauss. He has performed with the Indiana University Orchestras, the New World Symphony and as substitute for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

About Bonnie Yeager: Bonnie Yeager received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music as well as a diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy. Her primary instructors include Raymond Stilwell and Marna Street of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, David Holland of the Interlochen Arts Academy and Lynne Ramsey of the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her performance experience includes solo viola with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, principal viola for the Lexington Beach Festival and the Viva! Vivaldi Festival and section viola for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra.

About Christopher McKay: Christopher McKay has served as principal viola of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and assistant principal of New Jersey Opera, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the Owensboro Symphony. His summer engagements include fellowships at Tanglewood Music Center (1998 and 2006), Spoleto Festival USA, and the Artur Balsam Chamber Music Workshop, and for six years, he was violist of the Eykamp String Quartet, the resident string quartet for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and the University of Evansville. Mr. McKay's teaching experience encompasses positions at the University of Evansville, Indiana University-Bloomington, Blue Lake Arts Camp and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Indiana) Summer Music Clinic. Mr. McKay received performance degrees from Louisiana State University and Indiana University.

About Music Director Michael Christie: Michael Christie begins his fourth season as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony with the 2008/09 season. He also serves as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival and of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has appeared with orchestras across the United States, Europe, and Canada, as well as with the Finnish National Opera, Queensland Opera and Zürich Opera. In 1995, Mr. Christie was awarded a special prize at the First International Sibelius Conductor's Competition. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony. Michael Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Daniel Barenboim, Robert Spano, Eiji Oue and Peter Jaffe.

About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President and CEO Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.