In Wednesday’s (6/10) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jeremy Reynolds writes, “The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has extended music director Manfred Honeck’s contract through the end of the 2032-33 season, which will make him the longest-serving music director in the organization’s history…. Honeck has overseen the orchestra since 2008. He has built its artistic reputation worldwide, securing accolades ranging from Grammy nominations and awards to invitations to major European music festivals…. On Wednesday morning at rehearsal, the Pittsburgh Symphony [musicians] met the announcement of the extension onstage at Heinz Hall … with a rousing ovation. The orchestra’s artistic advisory committee, which represents the musicians to the symphony’s board, had worked hand in glove with management and the board over the course of 18 months on Honeck’s contract extension…. At the end of his extended contract, he will have been music director in Pittsburgh for 25 years…. Honeck has personally appointed more than 46 of the orchestra’s roughly 90 tenured musicians … The orchestra’s next recording … pairs Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 with American composer Carlos Simon’s ‘Four Black American Dances’ … Honeck cited living composers like Jessie Montgomery, John Adams, Samy Moussa, James McMillan, Michael Daugherty, John Williams and Thomas Ades as artists the orchestra will continue to program, emphasizing his and the orchestra’s commitment to play music by living composers.”
