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Musician photos by Nathan Hill

Jorge Mester

Jorge Mester, Music Director/Conductor



This is Jorge Mester’s eighth season as music director of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the world’s most dynamic conductors, Maestro Mester has an eclectic and distinguished background that includes conducting, recording and teaching. He is conductor laureate of the prestigious Aspen Music Festival, which he led for 21 years, and also serves as music director of the Louisville Symphony. For nearly 25 years, he served as music director of the Pasadena Symphony. From 1998 to 2002, Maestro Mester was artistic director of Mexico City's leading orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de Mexico.

The Los Angeles Times recently called Mester a conductor of “passionate vision” and proclaimed “Mester is a master.”

Mester, who is of Hungarian descent, was born and raised in Mexico City. An accomplished violist, he performed with the Beaux-Arts Quartet for several years before focusing exclusively on conducting.

During his 12-year tenure as music director of the Louisville Orchestra from 1967 to 1979, Maestro Mester made 72 recordings with the orchestra.
Mester's passion for conducting extends from the stage to the classroom. He directed the Juilliard School’s prestigious conducting department for a number of years and has taught such conductors as James Conlon, Dennis Russell Davies, Andreas Delfs, JoAnn Falletta and John Nelson. He also helped introduce to the public such artists as Midori, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Renée Fleming, Cho-Liang Lin and Robert McDuffie.

A noted opera conductor as well, Mester has led numerous productions with the New York City Opera, the Sydney Opera, Spoleto and the Washington Opera. He has also guest-conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Cincinnati Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony and many others.

  CLASSICAL 4 TCHAIKOVSKY'S SIXTH
Thursday-Saturday,
February 9-11, 2012
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  • REACHING OUT 2 – HAYDN'S 'LONDON' SYMPHONY
Thursday, March 22, 2012
First Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Wesley United Methodist Church, Marco Island
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  CLASSICAL 6 SHELLEY PLAYS SCHUMANN
Thursday-Saturday,
April 12-14, 2012
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