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Staying true to its plans of building the Sacramento Philharmonic's audience outside the inner core of Sacramento, the orchestra has appointed Ben Dominitz, a local violinist and artistic director of Chamber Music Alive!, to lead the organization's Virtuosi Series. These will be three annual concerts tailored to small venues in the region.
Dominitz is no stranger to the Philharmonic, having served as guest conductor with the orchestra in November in this series. He also is scheduled to conduct the orchestra in a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 on Sunday at the Crest Theatre.
The suburban areas the Philharmonic has targeted for growth, according to its strategic five-year plan adopted in 2003, include Granite Bay, Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills and Laguna-Elk Grove.
OAS_AD('Button20'); Philharmonic executive director Jane Hill said the orchestra has budgeted $95,000 for three Virtuosi concerts next season.
"Ben and (Philharmonic music director/conductor) Michael Morgan have a tight working relationship," Hill said. That and Dominitz's experience with building Chamber Music Alive's audience would be a nice fit for the orchestra's goal of building its Virtuosi Series, said Hill.
Dominitz studied violin as a scholarship student at the pre-college program at the Juilliard School of Music, and later studied with renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin. He has served as concertmaster of the Cincinnati Philharmonia and served as first violinist of the Sacramento Symphony String Quartet.
"My mandate is to help create awareness in the suburbs for the Philharmonic," said Dominitz.
The Virtuosi Series programs next year will be built around various themes, such as the works of prodigies who died young, Dominitz said.
Under Dominitz's leadership, Chamber Music Alive! has presented concerts at Sierra College in Rocklin and at St. Marks Methodist Church in Carmichael.
The chamber series' audiences began in the range of 150 patrons in 1993, but has now risen to between 350 and 450, according to Dominitz.
About the writer: The Bee's Edward Ortiz can be reached at (916) 321-1071 or eortiz@sacbee.com. Unique content, exceptional value. SUBSCRIBE NOW! To see more of the Sacramento Bee, or to subscribe, go to http://www.sacbee.com Copyright 2004 Sacramento Bee. All Rights Reserved.
