PRESS RELEASE
Contact Information:
Wilmington Symphony Orchestra
Liz Scanlon, Executive Director
liz@wilmingtonsymphony.org
(910) 791-9262
Photos available upon request. Interviews can be arranged.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/14/2025
PETER ASKIM NAMED INCOMING MUSIC DIRECTOR AT THE WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Wilmington, NC – After 39 seasons under the musical direction of Steven Errante, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra (WSO) soon will take cues from conductor Peter Askim.
The orchestra’s board of directors announced that Askim will take over as Music Director and Conductor of the WSO on June 1, 2025, and will lead the orchestra at the 2025-26 Season Opening concert on September 20, 2025, in Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College.
A native of Maine and active composer, conductor, and collaborative connector, Askim has a personal connection to North Carolina through his work in Raleigh and collaborations with North Carolina artists. He currently serves as the Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and Director of Orchestral Activities at North Carolina State University. He was previously Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra. Askim was a member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and served on the faculty of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where he directed the Contemporary Music Ensemble and taught theory and composition.
As a conductor, he has led the American Composers Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony and Vermont Symphony, among others. A champion of contemporary music and underrepresented voices in the concert hall, Askim’s artistic vision aligns seamlessly with WSO’s mission of inspiring and uniting the community through the power of music.
Reflecting on this transition, Askim shares, “It is amazing what he (Dr. Errante) has built over nearly four decades. I am honored to continue the legacy of Wilmington’s orchestra and look forward to collaborating with the WSO musicians. Community and education are at the heart of my work, and I am eager to deepen WSO’s connection with the people of Wilmington while nurturing the next generation of musicians through its outstanding youth programs. I am also thrilled about the incredible 2025-2026 season ahead, which we will announce in May. Additionally, I look forward to conducting WSO’s annual Young People’s Concert and working alongside WSO’s Pops Conductor, Dr. Dominic Talanca, to bring exciting and diverse programming to the community.”
“Wilmington holds a special place in my heart, and I am inspired by the incredible musicians, staff, and audience members I have met so far. To a person, they have been so warm, generous, and welcoming. I cannot wait to dive into this unique community and help co-create the Wilmington Symphony’s exciting next chapter. So MANY possibilities – let’s go!"
Search Committee chair, Jane Birnbach noted that "it was an honor to lead the search committee of board members, musicians and community advocates and to receive over 90 letters of interest for this position. The level of candidates was a testament to the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and our community at large. It was a difficult process with so many qualified applicants, but we were able to narrow the search to four finalists and are happy to have chosen Dr. Askim to take us through our next chapter of excellence."
As the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra prepares to enter this exciting new phase, it invites the community to be a part of the journey. Stay tuned for opportunities to meet Peter Askim, celebrate Steven Errante’s legacy, and experience the next chapter of inspiring performances.
About the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra:
From its beginnings in 1971, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra has established a unique artistic profile and civic stature in southeastern North Carolina. The Orchestra has grown into a multi-faceted asset, creating community connections, and strengthening our region's shared identity. In addition to its artistic contributions, the Symphony boasts robust youth education programs that impact over 2,500 young people each year, fostering the next generation of musicians and arts supporters.
For more information and updates, visit www.wilmingtonsymphony.org.
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DR. PETER ASKIM
Music Director and Conductor, Wilmington Symphony Orchestra
Active as a composer, conductor and collaborative connector, Peter Askim is the Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists and the conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as well as Director of Orchestral Activities at North Carolina State University. He was previously Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and served on the faculty of the University of Hawaii-Manoa, where he directed the Contemporary Music Ensemble and taught theory and composition.
As a conductor, he has led the American Composers Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony and Vermont Symphony, among others, and is known for innovative programming, championing the work of living composers and his advocacy of underrepresented voices in the concert hall. He has conducted premieres by composers such as Brett Dean, Aaron Jay Kernis, Allison Loggins-Hull, Jessica Meyer, Nico Muhly, Rufus Reid, Christopher Theofanidis, Jeff Scott and Aleksandra Vrebalov, and led the American premiere of Florence Price’s Ethiopia’s Shadow in America. His work was featured on HBO and National Public Radio conducting folk-rock legend Richard Thompson’s soundtrack for The Cold Blue. He has collaborated with such artists as Miranda Cuckson, Matt Haimovitz, Vijay Iyer, Jennifer Koh, Nadia Sirota, Sō Percussion and Jeffrey Zeigler, and the bluegrass band Balsam Range. As a composer, he has been called a “Modern Master” by The Strad and has had commissions and performances from such groups as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Cantus Ansambl Zagreb and the American Viola Society.
With the creation of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Askim founded a festival dedicated to the next generation of performers, composers and choreographers. Founded in 2013, the Festival encourages young artists, ages 20-30, to focus on artistic development, entrepreneurial career strategies and the music of living composers. The Next Festival Composer and Composer/Choreographer workshops connect early-career performers, composers and choreographers in innovative and highly collaborative laboratory for the creation of new works. The Festival has been awarded grants by the Amphion, ASCAP and BMI foundations, and the Copland Fund for Music. Immediately recognizing the devastation of the COVID pandemic on young artists, he began providing free workshops, masterclasses and resources to support young artists through challenging times beginning in March of 2020. Through the Festival, he has presented over 50 Guest Artists, including Pulitzer, Grammy, and MacArthur award winners.
With the Raleigh Civic Orchestras, Askim has pioneered collaborative, multimedia concert events focused on social and environmental justice and has programmed a newly-commissioned world premiere on each concert for the last seven seasons. Themes have included Martin Luther King, Jr.’s North Carolina “I Have A Dream” speech and a work for Virtual Reality and orchestra highlighting the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Voting Rights Act. During the pandemic, Askim premiered nine new works by composers harnessing latency and technology in innovative approaches to distance collaboration. Under his direction, the orchestras have received multiple grants recognizing diversity in programming, including from New Music USA and the Women’s Philharmonic Association.
Education
D.M.A., Composition,
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
D.M.A., Double Bass Performance,
Yale School of Music,
New Haven, CT
M.M.A, Double Bass Performance,
Yale School of Music,
New Haven, CT
M.M., Double Bass Performance,
Yale School of Music,
New Haven, CT
B.A., Intensive Music Major,
Yale School of Music,
New Haven, CT