The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Monday extended its contract with French conductor Louis Langree, who has championed new music and pulled in crowds with an innovative light show.
Langree, who took up the baton in the Midwestern city in September 2013, will remain at the orchestra through the 2021-22 season.
The conductor in a statement said it was “a privilege to be able to carry out the projects that reinforce the central values of this institution, including being a place of experimentation.”
Langree has led the orchestra for four seasons of free outdoor concerts known as Luminocity, with the music paired with a light show created through projection mapping.
He has also led world premieres of works by prominent young composers including Iceland’s Daniel Bjarnason and New York-based Nico Muhly.
Langree has run the MusicNow Festival of new works alongside Bryce Dessner, the Cincinnati native best known as guitarist of dark indie rockers The National.
In a sign of the orchestra’s rising fortunes, Langree will inaugurate the renovated Cincinnati Music Hall in October following a $135 million makeover.
Langree will also take the orchestra on its first international trip since 2009 in March with concerts in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, followed by a tour of Europe in August.
A former music director of the Opera National de Lyon, Langree has a background in the classic repertoire and separately leads the Mostly Mozart festival at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.