Bogza Resigns as Music Director of Youngstown Symphony
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Sergey Bogza’s short tenure as leader of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra has come to an end.
The YSO announced Friday that Bogza has resigned as music director and conductor “due to personal, health and family reasons,” according to Matt Pagac, CEO of the Youngstown Symphony Society.
Bogza was hired effective July 1 but missed the first two performances of the season, including last weekend’s “Back to the Future” concerts. His resignation was effective Nov. 7.
“Though Sergey’s circumstances prevent him from serving as the YSO music director, we are grateful to have met and engaged with him for a short time,” Pagac said in a press release. “We wish him well.”
Bogza’s hiring was something of a surprise. The YSO had tried out a number of guest conductors over the past three years, and many were considered candidates for the high-profile post. Bogza was not among the group that had been brought in to lead the YSO for a concert.
He applied for the job in 2022 and was interviewed earlier this year.
Bogza was hired as music director of the Panama City (Fla.) Symphony in 2022 and presumably will continue in that role.
The search for a new music director began after the death of Randall Craig Fleischer, who previously held the position, in 2020.
The Russian-born Bogza, 38, and his family moved to Portland, Ore., in 1995 when he was about 9 years old. His mother is a native of Mariupol, Ukraine, and his father is a native of Moscow, Russia.
Rest of the Season
With the YSO once again without a leader, it will rely on other conductors to fill in for the remaining concerts of the 2024-25 season. It has already secured guest conductors for the next two performances.
Dean Buck will lead the YSO in Ballet Western Reserve’s production of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 7 and 8 at Powers Auditorium. The YSO provides the orchestra for the ballet troupe’s annual performance of the holiday classic.
Edward Leonard will be the guest conductor for the Dec. 21 holiday concert, dubbed The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It will take place at Powers Auditorium.
Buck has conducted the YSO for the BWR production for the past two years. The Cleveland-based conductor is also the assistant conductor and chorus master with Youngstown-based Opera Western Reserve.
Buck, who has also worked with Cleveland Opera Theater, holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Leonard first appeared with the YSO on Oct. 5 as guest conductor at the season opening “Rhapsody Royale” concert.
The Pittsburgh resident holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Carnegie Mellon University. He conducts various ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and The Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. Leonard is also active with various youth orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Youth Chamber Connection at Chautauqua Institute.
The YSO will secure guest conductors for the final three concerts of the season, which will take place Jan. 19, Feb. 15 and March 2, according to Pagac.
Pictured at top: Sergey Bogza.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
