Following an extensive search that attracted over 100 applicants, the Panama City Symphony Search Committee has selected four finalists to contend for the orchestra’s next Music Director and Conductor position. An 11-member committee of orchestra musicians and board members narrowed the field to four conductors, each of whom will lead one subscription concert during season 2026–2027, Horizons: A Season of Discovery.
This search arrives during a period of unprecedented organizational growth for Panama City Symphony, marked by record concert attendance, expanded venues, and deepened community outreach through youth music education. According to regional economic and tourism reports, Bay County continues to experience unprecedented growth, with a population approaching 200,000 and over $3 billion in annual tourism impact. Panama City Symphony’s artistic expansion directly mirrors this regional momentum, demonstrating how premier performing arts institutions serve as vital engines for talent attraction and economic vitality.
“We are thrilled to present four dynamic candidates who each bring an incredible level of artistry, vision, and leadership to the table,” said Dr. Marlene East, President of the Board of Directors of Panama City Symphony. “Our process is focused on finding a leader who will elevate our orchestra’s artistic excellence while actively engaging with our community.”
Meet the Music Director Finalists
Dr. Rachel Waddell launches the series on Saturday, September 19, 2026, conducting Dvořák’s New World Symphony at Bay High School’s Barbara W. Nelson Fine Arts Center. Waddell currently serves as Director of Orchestras at Colorado State University and Music Director of the Longmont Youth Symphony. An acclaimed conductor with a Doctor of Musical Arts from UNLV, her guest appearances include the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Rochester Philharmonic, alongside earning two American Prize awards in Orchestral Programming.
Alex Amsel takes the podium on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at St. Andrew Baptist Church to lead fellow countryman Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Amsel, Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and former Resident Conductor of Houston Grand Opera, is a dynamic Argentinian-Mexican conductor recognized for his vibrant musicality and community outreach. He has led productions at Utah and Houston Operas and conducted at major international festivals including Aspen and Romania’s George Enescu Festival. He founded the Student Composition Project, commissioning six orchestral world premieres from young Arizona composers.
Dr. Ryo Hasegawa will conduct Beethoven’s Eroica and Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus on Saturday, January 30, 2027, at St. Andrew Baptist Church. Dr. Hasegawa serves as Assistant Conductor of the Charleston Symphony—where he led the youth orchestra to its Carnegie Hall debut—and Music Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Holding a Doctor of Musical Arts from Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory, this rising Japanese conductor has appeared with the Hamburg Symphony and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
David Bernard closes the finalist series on Saturday, February 13, 2027, leading With Love, Tchaikovsky: Symphonic Valentines at Arnold High School’s Helen Blackburn Auditorium. Bernard is an award-winning conductor serving as Music Director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Massapequa Philharmonic, and Eglevsky Ballet. A Juilliard and Curtis alumnus who has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Bernard was named Conductor of the Year at the 2025 European Classical Music Awards and holds a U.S. patent for the immersive InsideOut Concert format.
Audience members and orchestral musicians will be invited to provide direct feedback after each performance to help inform the Board of Directors’ final choice. The search will culminate ahead of the Season Finale on April 10, 2027 (Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy), when the chosen new Music Director takes the podium to lead the orchestra into its next chapter.
For concert details and tickets, visit panamacitysymphony.org. Tickets are also available on Eventbrite.
About Panama City Symphony: Vibrant. Refined. Enchanting.
Panama City Symphony, The Cultural Heart of Northwest Florida, brings world-class orchestral music, educational programming, and community outreach to Northwest Florida, inspiring audiences across Bay County and Northwest Florida.
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