Meet the Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s first director finalist, who will conduct Sunday

Conductor Alexandra Arrieche has performed with such world-famous musicians as Sting and The Pointer Sisters. On Sunday, Feb. 13, she’ll conduct the Olympia Symphony Orchestra.

Arrieche — dubbed a “rock-star conductor” for her work with “Night of the Proms,” a European concert series that mixes classical and pop — is the first of four finalists who’ll conduct concerts in Olympia as part the process to hire a new music director to replace Huw Edwards, who retired.

Each finalist will spend about two weeks here, getting to know not only the orchestra but also the city.

“All of our finalists are fantastic musicians,” said Chris Barnes, the chair of the search committee. “It’s about finding a good fit.”

As part of the process, each finalist will meet with city leaders, work with students, speak to community groups and conduct an open rehearsal the day before the concert. Music students are encouraged to attend Arrieche’s rehearsal, happening at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, in the Performing Arts Center at Capital High School, 707 Conger Ave., Olympia.

Working with stars who perform as part of “Proms” hasn’t been the only brush with fame for Arrieche, who grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, and is now the music director of the Henderson (Nevada) Symphony Orchestra. She’s featured in the documentary “The Conductor,” about Marin Alsop, the first woman to conduct a major American orchestra. Arrieche was a conducting assistant to Alsop.

Arrieche talked to The Olympian about how she got started conducting, how she aims to lead the orchestra if she gets the job, and what she thinks of Olympia.

Q. What led you to conducting?

A. I always wanted to become a musician. … My first memories are with instruments, with sounds. I started writing music when I was little. Then when I went to music school, I was writing music for my friends. It was an orchestral group. We needed a conductor, and the only person who knew the music was me so I started conducting. I fell in love.

Q. What drew you to apply for the job in Olympia?

A. I saw that someone from the Olympia Symphony Orchestra had looked at my profile on LinkedIn … so I went to the orchestra’s website and I fell in love with the orchestra. I thought, “What a beautiful group of people.” It felt like a family. I scrolled through the website and saw “music director search.” Immediately, I applied.

I searched the community, also, and it felt really close to the culture I grew up in, in Brazil. I liked the diversity. I found out about the (Procession) of the Species. It reminds me of Carnival in Brazil.

Q. What is your impression of the orchestra?

A. It’s a happy group. It’s the type of orchestra that hasn’t forgotten why they became musicians. They play from their hearts. That’s rare.

Q. What do you hope to achieve if you are chosen as music director?

A. I am a collaborator. Not every orchestra or every community has that opportunity. There is an opportunity here to collaborate with all art forms. I also want to reach out to the community and welcome people back to the orchestra family.

Q. Have you had a chance to see much of Olympia yet?

A. I’ve done some walking around the harbor and seen the sculptures. And another thing that reminds me of home is the coffee. I haven’t had any bad coffee.

I’ve visited other arts organizations.

And I like the food. All of the restaurants I have been to are amazing. It’s culinary art.

Olympia Symphony Orchestra

• What: Alexandra Arrieche, a finalist for the job of music director of the orchestra, will conduct the orchestra for a concert as part of the hiring process.
• When: 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13
• Where: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia
• Tickets: $6-$65
• More information: http://www.olympiasymphony.org
• On the program: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, Op. 62; Marjan Mozetich’s “Affairs of the Heart” with violinist Svend Rønning; and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
• Also: Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result is required for audience members 12 and older.
• The rest of the season: The other music director finalists will take their turns — Kelly Kuo on March 20, Zoe Zeniodi on April 24 and Adam Johnson on May 22.