The Denver Post recognizes Michael Christie as Musician of the Year

PHOENIX- Michael Christie, The Virginia G. Piper Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony, was recently recognized by The Denver Post as Musician of the Year. The recognition is based, in part, on Christie’s passion to boost the quality and diversity of orchestra music. Along with leading The Phoenix Symphony for the past five years, he has served as the music director of Boulder’s Colorado Music Festival for the last ten years.

In a recent Denver Post article Christie states, “It’s not only going to come down to whether your first violin section plays better than the next guy’s first violin section, it’s going to be about the overall experience people have with our orchestras.” To view the full article, click here.

About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman CA Howlett.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.

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The Phoenix Symphony’s 2010/11 Sponsors are US Airways, APS, Target and The Arizona Republic.