South Bend Symphony extends Alastair Willis’ contract for 5 more years

SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Symphony Orchestra announced Sept. 15 that it has renewed Maestro Alastair Willis ’ contract for five more years, through the 2029-30 season.

It’s the second five-year extension Willis has received since being named the orchestra’s music director in May 2017 , when he succeeded Maestro Tsung Yeh, who had retired a year earlier.

“This community has become my home, and it is an honor to lead such a talented group of musicians,” Willis said in a press release. “Together, we have achieved remarkable artistic growth and have brought innovative and diverse programming to our audiences.”

During his tenure with the SBSO, Willis has launched several initiatives for the orchestra, including the following:

■ Renewed the SBSO’s collaboration with Southold Dance Theater for the latter’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” in 2022 and 2023

■ Conducted the SBSO in a co-production of “West Side Story” with South Bend Civic Theatre

■ Won the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s 2019 Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence , in part because of outreach efforts such as Willis’ “Happy Hour” series of small-ensemble concerts at local bars and bringing small ensembles to schools, libraries and other small settings

■ Artistic initiatives such as performing all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies in the three-year "Living Beethoven" series that paired the iconic composer with a contemporary composer; an annual collaboration with musicians and composers from Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, with which he is affiliated; his “Alastair Presents” series , a themed program of music paired with a story written and performed by Willis, who has also worked as an actor; programmed works by local composers ; spearheaded the Indiana Composer Competition; and premiered works by contemporary composers such as Anna Clyne and Malek Jandali

■ Worked to increase the SBSO’s equity, diversity and inclusion efforts by programming more music by minority composers and bringing in more minority guest artists

■ Bringing acclaimed guest artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and his sister, Sarah Willis, a French horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic , to South Bend

■ Launched the podcast “Aha! With Alastair” to preview upcoming concerts

■ Helped to guide the SBSO through the COVID-19 pandemic with initiatives such as his “Quarantunes” playlist posts and the orchestra’s successful return to the stage in April 2021 after a 13-month layoff

Willis also starred as Sky Masterson in Civic’s June 2023 production of “Guys and Dolls.”

Presented by the Community Foundation , the SBSO performs a free concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Chris Wilson Pavilion in Potawatomi Park, 500 S. Greenlawn Ave.

The SBSO’s 92nd season begins with a special Sunday matinee concert at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Morris Performing Arts Center , 211 N. Michigan St. The program includes Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances, Poulenc’s Les Biches Suite and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.”

Willis, who lives in South Bend with his family, also is the principal conductor and artistic advisor of Florida’s The Symphonia in Boca Raton.

For more information, call 574-232-6343 or visit southbendsymphony.org .

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Symphony extends Alastair Willis’ contract for 5 more years