Maestro Gomez will speak about his new life in Tucson as he approaches the finale of his inaugural season. He will focus on why a strong symphony is important to Tucson and how the orchestra plays an integral role in the education of our young people.  In addition, he will share some highlights of the TSO’s upcoming 90th season and our developing relationship with Mexico.

 

 

The Venezuelan-born, Spanish conductor José Luis Gomez was catapulted to international attention when he won First Prize at the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt in September 2010, securing a sensational and rare unanimous decision from the jury.

 

Gomez’s electrifying energy, talent and creativity earned him immediate acclaim from the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra where he was named Assistant Conductor, a post created especially for him by Paavo Järvi and the orchestra directly following the competition.

 

Gomez started his musical career as a violinist, and by the age of 11 he was Concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra of Zulia State, part of El Sistema de Orquestas Juveniles de Venezuela. He graduated in music and violin from the Manhattan School of Music before embarking on a European orchestral career. Deciding to follow his dream to have more creative input and influence on musical direction, he took conducting lessons from Lu Jia, Muhai Tang and John Nelson. After just six months of study he won the Georg Solti competition.

 

Since then he has worked with the RTVE National Symphony Orchestra of Madrid, the Houston and Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestras, National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, Hamburg Symphony, Basel Sinfonietta and Orquesta Sinfonica do Porto. From 2012 to 2015, he was principal conductor of the Orchestra 1813 Teatro Sociale di Como where he led performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, to name a few.

 

The 16/17 season saw Gomez named Music Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. The season also included appearances with Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, Winnipeg Symphony, Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, Daegu Symphony Orchestra, and return engagements with the Edmonton Symphony and the Macau Orchestra.

 

In 17/18, with the Tucson Symphony, Gomez will conduct concerts with Yo-Yo Ma, Arturo Sandoval and Gil Shaham and two programs with the Tucson Desert Song Festival observing the 100^th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth.  He will also conduct the world premiere of a work by Anthony Constantino, an alumnus of the TSO’s well-known Young Composers Project. New engagements this season will include the Louisiana Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife. He will also return to the Edmonton and Winnipeg Symphonies and the Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio.

GARY SCHEER asked for a moment of thought for JIM & Joann Sumwalt as they cope with Joann’s illness. President CLIFF gave the inspiration, quoting his daughter, and ALICE MILTON led us in the Pledge and singing “America the Beautiful” accompanied by GARY HIRSCH on the piano.

 

JON WANG introduced our guests and visiting Rotarians, including Dave Heeke, University of Arizona Athletic Director (and our next Honorary Member???)

 

We had two Birthday Rotarians: DON CLARK noted that instead of being retired, he is now just tired, but also noted that he’s never belonged to anything as long as he’s belonged to this Club. KEN LIGHT entertained us with a series of jokes about golf, including Winston Churchill’s observation “golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an ever smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”

 

Past President ELLIE PATTERSON introduced new member AIMEE GRAVES. AIMEE was a Rotary International Youth Exchange Participant, traveling to Greece, and received a Rotary Scholarship for college. She now works for CARF International and was recently selected for the United Way Circle of Excellence. Welcome AIMEE!

 

For Announcements, Sergeant at Arms DALE BERG assembled the following lineup:

 

JEFF RONSTADT introduced our speaker, Judy McDermott, Executive Director of the Tucson Conquistadores & the First Tee of Tucson who spoke about the Conquistadores efforts to connect golf and youth development while bringing a top level professional golf event to Tucson.

 

Judy signed a book for our lending library: “My Dog Spot”. President CLIFF closed the meeting with a quote comparing life to golf in that we always must always play the ball where it lies.

 

 

The Community Food Bank is welcoming us Rotarians to come in and work together at sorting food, packing food boxes, food distribution, and more.  It will be fun to get together, work hard and make a difference in the fight to end hunger.  3003 S. Country Club Road.  Sign up on website Home Page under "Upcoming Events".  Wear your Rotary shirt! 

 

Our fourth annual day of service at the Ranch is open to all Rotarians and friends and families of Rotarians. Please bring your friends and neighbors.  The Ranch has been providing a one week camp experience to under privileged children from Tucson and southern Arizona since 1948 and they need our help.  Please bring the following: sunscreen, hat, landscaping tools of your choice, protective goggles if you have them, weed eater if you have one, and a ladder.  Please put your name on any tools you bring to the ranch.  The maintenance supervisor will have plenty of tools but it always helps to bring some things.

 

Lunch is included for no charge and will be served at 1:00 PM.  You will have a great opportunity to see all of the ranch facilities.  This is a great opportunity to introduce prospective members to what Rotary is all about. 

 

There is a “Cowboy Night” aka sleepover on Friday night at the ranch.  Modern lodging is available and includes breakfast on Saturday for $35 PP.  We will also have our usual steak and beans dinner for $10 PP.  Thanks again to Chef Darrell Stewart who has helped provide a great dinner the past several years.  You can register on Clubrunner  at the Rotary Club of Tucson website or email Dave Gallaher at dave@tucsonindustrialrealty.com or call 520-907-4983.  There will be carpooling available leaving from the parking lot of Trader Joes at the southeast corner of Oracle and Magee.  Please plan to meet there at 7:30.  It takes about 50 minutes to reach the Ranch from the lot.