Concluding a three-year-long search, the Marin Symphony announced today, July 8, its new music director.
He is Fawzi Haimor, born in Chicago in 1983 and educated in the Middle East and at UC Davis, earning bachelor’s degrees in music and neurobiology and a master’s in conducting. (He would obtain a second master’s in instrumental conducting from Indiana University.)
Haimor has appeared with major orchestras in the U.S — including the Pittsburgh Symphony, where he served as assistant and then resident conductor from 2012 to 2015 — as well as abroad: the BBC Symphony, the BBC Philharmonic, orchestras in Qatar and New Zealand, and Germany’s Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, where he was music director from 2017 to 2020.
Haimor is the fourth music director in the Marin Symphony’s 73-year history. That legacy started with founder Sandor Salgo, whose exceptionally long tenure on the podium (more than three decades, culminating in 1989) was followed by Gary Sheldon (1990–2000) and most recently Alasdair Neale (2001–2023).
The final four candidates in the three-year-long search, which began at the end of Neale’s term, each led the orchestra in a subscription concert this past season; they were Haimor, Robert Kahn, Alexandra Arrieche, and Brad Hogarth.
“Fawzi’s humanity and collaborative spirit have shone so brightly in his interactions with musicians, staff, and patrons, and his work with our orchestra was first-rate,” said Marin Symphony Executive Director Tod Brody.
“Musicians found him inspiring, intelligent, and kind and spoke of his communication skills and his ‘comfort and confidence on the podium.’ We’ve already begun our work together, and I’m very enthused about what he will bring to the people of Marin.”
Haimor’s response to the appointment: “It’s an incredible honor to join the Marin Symphony as its next music director. Having spent most of my life in the Bay Area, the chance to collaborate with these exceptional musicians and serve a community I care so deeply about feels both personal and profound.
“From the very first rehearsal, I was struck by the orchestra’s sense of purpose, artistic integrity, and collective commitment to excellence. I’ve always believed that an orchestra’s role extends beyond the stage — it’s about connection, belonging, and enriching lives through music. To contribute to that spirit here in Marin is a true privilege.”
Haimor participated in planning the orchestra’s 2025–2026 season — also announced today — which he will lead. The schedule comprises 21 performances of nine programs from October through May 2026. In addition to symphonic standards and pops and holiday offerings, the orchestra is also playing a selection of lesser-known works, some contemporary and some simply seldom heard.
John Psathas’s 2010 composition Tarantismo is featured alongside Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 on the first Masterworks concert of the season (three performances Nov. 8 and 9), and Fanny Mendelssohn’s Overture in C Major pairs with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 on the following program in the series (Jan. 10 and 11, 2026).
There’s the intriguing combination of Mason Bates’s Mothership, Béla Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia (April 11 and 12, 2026), and the year concludes with Valerie Coleman’s Umoja, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 (May 30 and 31, 2026).
The orchestra’s chamber music series is set to spotlight works by Grażyna Bacewicz (Oct. 4 and 5) and Madeleine Dring and Irving Fine (March 28 and 29, 2026).
Like just about every other performing arts organization in the U.S., the Marin Symphony is still dealing with fiscal and attendance problems post-pandemic, but the latest publicly available information (for the 2022–2023 season) shows $2.59 million in expenses, $2.86 million in revenue, and total assets of $7.44 million.
Brody, while not commenting on finances, told SF Classical Voice about the orchestra’s situation:
“As Marin County conducts long-deferred maintenance and repairs on the orchestra’s regular venue, the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, concerts are being held in the intimate James Dunn Theatre at College of Marin in Kentfield.
“The point is that we’re not struggling with audiences [attending] so much as we have no place to put them. We’ve gone from double performances in a 1,960-seat house to triples in a 580-seat house, and we’re doing OK. Our future, our survival, is not in question.”
The Marin Symphony has 85 union musicians on per-service contracts, negotiated by the American Federation of Musicians Local 6.
Season subscriptions go on sale in August, with single tickets available beginning Sept. 2. For more information and the complete 2025–2026 schedule, visit the Marin Symphony’s website.
