Biography

Paul Polivnick, conductor

"Polivnick's style, artistic imagination shine...his podium style is lean and intense, with a touch of chorography; he conducts entirely from memory...and his artistic imagination is impressive." Fort Worth Star Telegram

A favoite with Symphony Silicon Valley audiences and musicians, Paul Polivnick returns once again for the 2007-08 season in his sixth appearance with the Symphony.  Maestro Polivnick has held the position of Music Director of the highly-respected New Hampshire Music Festival since 1993.  Its Board of Directors is working with Maestro Polivnick to create a year-round art center for New England as the Festival's new home.  From 1997 to 2002, he served as Music Director of the Oberlin Conservatory Orchestras, while maintaining an active schedule of national and international guest conducting appearances.  

From 1985 to 1993 Mr. Polivnick was Music Director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.  Upon appearing with the ASO at their Kennedy Center debut in 1988 the Washing Post reported, "After three seasons under Conductor Polivnick, the ASO seems to be leaving its regional status to claim national attention." This national attention was further enhanced by the production of a series of critically acclaimed commercial recordings. Polivnick's success was recognized with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Montevallo.

From 1988-1993 Polivnick was the principal conductor of Harmonia Classica of Vienna, Austria, a composer's society devoted to tonal new Austrian music. This post enabled him to conduct concerts and recordings in all of the principal halls of Vienna. The tonal qualities of these great musical spaces have become an inseparable part of Maestro Polivnick's "sound." To this day, when time allows, he still conducts on the Harmonia Classica concert series.

From 1981 to 1985, Mr. Polivnick was Associate Conductor and then Associate Principal Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, after earlier serving in a similar post with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In the spring of 1986, Mr. Polivnick was nominated for a Seaver Award, an honor given annually to the most outstanding young conductor in the United States.  Since that time he has been seen on many podiums abroad, including those of the London Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Barcelona Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic, Kiev Camerata, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Korea Symphony and Puerto Rico Symphony.  In addition to these and many other international appearances, Polivnick has guest conducted over forty orchestras and opera companies in the United States.

1976 marked Paul Polivnick's debut as an opera conductor. Since that time, he has led numerous productions of the Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini operas, as well as several premiers, including Conrad Sousa's Transformations. He has worked with many top singers, including Marilyn Horne and Kathleen Battle.  His love of opera prompted him to write his own original libretto, titled 2001, a Space Opera, with music by the Viennese composer Alexander Blechinger.  A concert overture based on themes from the opera was commissioned by the New Hampshire Music Festival and premiered there in the summer of 2000.

Mr. Polivnick is a graduate of The Julliard School, where he earned a degree in Orchestra Conducting in 1969.  He did further studies at the Tanglewood Music Festival, including working as a conducting student of Leonard Bernstein.

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