The Sandpoint faces of the CDA Symphony

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff Writer

The Coeur d’Alene Symphony is starting its 36th season this weekend with the kickoff of this year’s theme: Voyage of Discovery.

The theme stems from the symphony’s search for a new conductor. After weeding through 60 applicants from all over the world, the job is down to five contenders, each of which will conduct a concert during the 2017-2018 season. Each conductor candidate will direct a classical symphony, a soloist concerto and a piece of their own choice.

From left to right: Mika Hood is an instructor at Sandpoint’s Bella Note Music studio, and is principal cellist in CDA Symphony and will be soloist in the Bloch Schelomo for the December concert. Beth Weber, long time private Suzuki instructor in Sandpoint, plays violin in CDA Symphony and is a member of the board of directors. Rachel Gordon, part owner of Bella Note Music studio, has a Master’s in flute performance and is principal flutist in CDA Symphony. Rich Beber retired music instructor is bassoonist in CDA Symphony. Sam Minker instructor at Sandpoint Music Conservatory plays cello in CDA Symphony. Courtesy photo.

The conductor for the first performance of the season, held Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, is current Washington State University Music Director Dahn Pham. He will be conducting the Beethoven Fifth Symphony and Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 with award winning soloist Yesong Sophie Lee on a night deemed “Discover Europe.” True to the season’s theme, each concert’s title touches on “discovery” in some way.

These conducting performances will then be judged in order to choose a new permanent conductor for the symphony.

“A selection committee, the symphony itself, audience feedback and the symphony board of directors will determine the final choice,” said member of the CDA Symphony board of directors and violinist Beth Weber. “This will be a really exciting season to participate in as a musician or as a member of the audience.”

A host of Sandpoint talent performs with the CDA Symphony, including Weber, Mika Hood, Rachel Gordon, Rich Beber and Sam Minker.

Tickets to any of the symphony’s upcoming performances can be purchased online at www.cdasymphony.org under the “Get Tickets” tab.