Greetings, Hartford! It’s simply thrilling to be a finalist. I’m drawn to the quality of your musicians. To your rich artistic history that’s rooted in tradition and open to evolution. Your inspiring values and vision. Your creativity, transparency and identity. The warmth and engagement of your board and staff. Your expansive programming. How your impressive Learning and Social Impact programs are connecting Connecticut communities. You offer the perfect platform to build on — I can’t wait for this opportunity to dive into collaboration, make music of the highest quality and engage deeply with your community. See you soon!

Grammy nominated conductor Alastair Willis is in his ninth season as Music Director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and in his sixth season as Music Director of The Symphonia Boca Raton. In past seasons, Willis has guest conducted orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, Orquestra Sinfonica de Rio de Janeiro, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra Berlin, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, China National Orchestra (Beijing), and Silk Road Ensemble (with Yo-Yo Ma) among others. His recording of Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortileges” with Nashville Symphony and Opera for Naxos was Grammy nominated for Best Classical Album in 2009.

Last season Willis was re-engaged by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Salute to Vienna, and Seattle’s Music of Remembrance. This season he returns to the Qatar Philharmonic, Music of Remembrance, and Gyor Philharmonic in Hungary.

Over his nine years in South Bend, Willis raised the artistic standard, increased the audience, helped expand outreach, repertoire, connected and collaborated with local arts groups and universities, and commissioned over fifteen world premieres.

Equally at home with symphony concerts, opera, ballet and pops, Willis thrives on versatility and a wide variety of repertoire. Along with classic repertoire, recent seasons have included Arabic premieres, choral masterpieces, chamber operas, tangos, waltzes, movie and animé programs, circus collaborations, Silk Road music, Dia de los Muertos concerts and premieres of the environmentally powerful Terra Nostra by Christophe Chagnard. Willis’ theater background has led him to write several concert-theater productions–unique and innovative experiences that combine classical music with theater and multimedia.

Willis’ engaging remarks from the podium in concert have received international acclaim for his warm, open and approachable manner. Under his leadership as the Florida Orchestra’s Coffee Concerts conductor, the audience and season expanded from six concerts in his first year, to ten in his third, playing to sell-out audiences.

Previous positions include Music Director of the Illinois Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor with the Florida Orchestra’s Coffee Concert series, Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Assistant Conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras, and Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Born in Acton, Massachusetts, Willis lived with his family in Moscow for five years before settling in Surrey, England. He received his bachelor’s degree with honors from England’s Bristol University, an Education degree from Kingston University, and a Masters of Music degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Willis currently resides in South Bend, Indiana, with his wife and daughter.