Sudbury Symphony tries out Martin MacDonald for music director job
The search continues for the next music director of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, and the latest conductor to vie for the baton comes from a family of car dealers.
Martin MacDonald, a cellist, is currently Symphony Nova Scotia's Associate Conductor. The youngest child of 12, he said he's known since he was a teenager that conducting was the job for him.
- STARTING OVER | Sudbury's Charlotte Leonard loses her ability to play trombone
- Jennifer McGillivray calls Sudbury Symphony Orchestra changes 'exciting'
"It just called to me," he said.
"I have three brothers who are professional musicians and, aside from a few other siblings, most of them are car dealers ... my dad was both a car dealer and a musician as well!"
MacDonald lives in Toronto now and commutes to Halifax, NS, to work with the orchestra there. He said he also spends a lot of time flying around the country to work as a guest conductor.
"Being a conductor in Canada, it's difficult. To get on a podium is half the battle," he said.
As for his bid for the SSO conductor's podium, "[Sudbury has] a wonderful orchestra, with a great reputation," he said. "I wanted to throw my hat in the ring."
MacDonald will be showing off his stuff this weekend at the SSO's Folk and Fire concert.
Listen to the complete interview with Martin MacDonald here.
Watch conductor Martin MacDonald in concert with Symphony Nova Scotia here.