Summary  | Biography:  | Resume

Resume:
A proven audience builder:
Shreveport Symphony: Over the course of the 3 seasons of Maestro Poling’s tenure as the Interim Music Director, there was a significant increase in audience size and contributions to the orchestra. The audience for the 2005-06 SEASON had the largest audiences in years, including two sell-outs. Audience for the 11th annual People’s Concert of the Shreveport Symphony, the first major concert led by Maestro Poling since being appointed Interim Music Director, was nearly double the size of previous years’ events. The 12th People’s Concert had the SSO’s largest audience ever.

Audiences for the South Arkansas Symphony have increased over 200% in the past several seasons. Income in all categories has increased by 40% and the orchestra has eliminated a long-standing accumulated deficit.

A novel and entertaining programmer and conductor
Programs for the Shreveport Symphony have taken on a fresh design, with much effort being made to collaborate with other organizations and outside performers. Actively involved in creating new and interesting educational and outreach programming.

Programs for the South Arkansas Symphony have included premieres every season, including 5 worlds premieres and newly commissioned works. Guest artists of both regional and international interest have been featured every season. The quality of the orchestra has risen to one of the top orchestras of its size in the country.

A high profile leader:
Performances of both the Shreveport Symphony and the South Arkansas Symphony have appeared regularly in the 4 states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas. SASO has been televised state wide in Arkansas. Performances led by Maestro Poling have appeared several times nationally on National Public Radio and on the Public Television Broadcasting network. Articles about Maestro Poling have appeared in regional newspapers such as the Shreveport Times, Forum Magazine, CityLights and the El Dorado News Times, and national magazines such as Ovation.

CURRENT POSITIONS:
Resident Conductor - Interim Music Director (appointed October, ‘02 through June, ‘05, extended June ‘06) NEWLY NAMED ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR starting fall 2006.
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra - a regional orchestra with an annual budget of over $1.3 million. As Music Director - oversees all aspects of musical performance by orchestra and ensembles, conducts majority of concerts, run-outs, special events, takes leadership role in concert/season planning, fundraising, etc.

Music Director and Conductor/Executive Director (12 seasons)
South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra - As Music Director - oversees all aspects of musical performances, conducts majority of concerts, plans season, oversees/hires/auditions personnel, selects guest artists. As Executive Director, oversees the operation of the entire organization, while also coordinating development and fundraising elements. Annual budget of $200,000.

Music Director and Conductor, (13 seasons)
Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet - conducts performances, plans events with choreographers, and creates new ballets with artistic directors, Annual budget of $250,000 .

Music Director and Conductor, (first season) River Cities Theater Troupe
conducts performances, oversees rehearsals. The region’s first equity theater, fully professional.

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OTHER POSITIONS:
most recent guest conducting appearances :
Guest Conductor, Guanajuato Symphony, Mexico, March, 2006
Guest Conductor of the Ohio All-State Orchestra in Cleveland - January, 2006
Guest Conductor of the Shenzhen (China) Symphony Orchestra, November 2005.
Guest Conductor, Guanajuato Symphony, Mexico, November, 2005
International Adjudicator for the 2nd Annual China Young Artists Competition, Beijing, China, Aug. 2005
Adjudicator for the State of Louisiana, Dept. of Arts, grants panels 2005
Guest Conductor, Filarmonia Veneta, Italy, April 2005
Pending commitments, Summer 2007 include Tablisi, Georgia and Croatia, and a return to Beijing.
Macon Symphony, February, 2007
others see below.

OTHER RECENT GUEST CONDUCTING APPEARANCES: Riverside Symphonia, New Jersey, Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico, Adrian Symphony, Opera Lewanee, Monroe Symphony, Longview Symphony, Parma Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Dance Foundation, Ballet Mississippi, Ballet South, Louisiana Tech University Chorus and Orchestra,

Music Director - Marjorie Lyons Playhouse of Louisiana - Summer musicals for last 10 summer seasons.

Tour Music Director - Moscow Ballet/Moscow Chamber Orchestra - November, 2002 - responsibilities included conducting performances in cities such as Phoenix, AZ and El Dorado, AR, and coordinating with production director for hiring of additional musicians.

Concerto soloist with Shreveport Symphony 1990, 94, 97, 99, 2000, 01, 05

Concertmaster - AIMS festival in Graz, Austria, Summer 1996

Music Director, Achill Island Music Fest. (Ireland), Summer, 1994 responsibilities included hiring of guest artists, planning of concerts, leading and performing as part of festival.

Associate Conductor, Shreveport Symphony Orchestra 1987-1993 - promotion from Assistant - responsibilities were similar to below. RENAMED ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR STARTING FALL 2006

Assistant Conductor, Shreveport Symphony Orchestra 1985-1987 - responsibilities included the creation of the SSO’s educational programming, with over 150 performances each year for children. This programming structure continues through the present day. Other responsibilities included conducting @ 45 concerts each season and acting as cover conductor for all other events.

Assistant Conductor, Shreveport Opera 1987-1989
Music Director, Ruston Symphony 1986-1988
Music Director, Centenary College Orchestra 1986-1989
Music Director, Texarkana Community Orchestra 1985-1987
Conductor, Puerto Rico Conservatory Orchestra 1983-1985
Music Director, Puerto Rico Chamber Orchestra 1983-1984
Conductor, Puerto Rico Youth Symphony 1983-1985
Director/Conductor Music Festival for Young Musicians, PR 1985
Assistant Conductor, Brookline Symphony 1980-1982
Conductor, Boston Consv. Chamber Orchestra 1979-1982




FESTIVALS: in addition to above activities, have appeared as a performer with the following summer festivals: Casals, Colorado Music Festival, Festival Mayormente Mozart, Eastern Music Festival, Interamerican Festival of Contemporary Music, Shreveport Summer Music Festival

EDUCATION and AWARDS: Conducting studies with Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, Roger Norrington, Gustav Meier while in the conducting class at the Tanglewood Music Institute (Summer of 1987) Violin studies with Max Hobart at the Boston Conservatory of Music and David Cerone at the Cleveland Institute of Music. BM cum laude, Boston Conservatory of Music, 1982. Further studies at Cleveland Institute of Music, Boston Conservatory of Music. Conducting studies through the American Symphony Orchestra League with Lawrence Leighton Smith and David Zinman at league seminars as active participant. Scholarship awards at Tanglewood Institute, Cleveland Institute of Music, Boston Conservatory of Music and others.

Mayoral Proclamation - “Kermit Poling Day”, Shreveport, Louisiana 2006

Awarded Outstanding Musician Fellowship 2000 - State of Louisiana - award included a $5,000 grant from the Division of the Arts, Louisiana . Invited to serve on the arts panels for 2005.

Awarded Outstanding Musician Fellowship 1996 - Shreveport Regional Arts Council - award included a $2,500 grant from the City of Shreveport, invited to serve on arts panels 2004, 05.

COMMISSIONS: Chamber work to premiere in the spring of 2007 for the Shreveport Summer Music Festival.
Wizard of Oz orchestral suite – Marshall Symphony – pending
Wizard of Oz, original ballet, premiered March 10, 2006
Snow White, original ballet, premiered spring 2002, repeated 2003.
Electra, incidental music, Marjorie Lyons Theater (Centenary College) 2001
As Bees in Honey Drown, incidental music, Marjorie Lyons Theater (Centenary College) 2000
Original Score, Stage adaptation of The Leafmen and the Brave Good Bugs by William Joyce. A special NEA project. 1998 Used later as soundtrack for the Louisiana Public Broadcasting television version.

RECORDINGS: Digital Masterworks, DBB, Strings Attached Prod., others. In each have either conducted or performed as soloist. Soundtrack of The Leafmen and the Brave Good Bugs, (Strings Attached) includes all original music composed by Mr. Poling for the stage adaptation and LPB production.

BROADCASTS:
Performance Today (National Public Radio) concert performances by the South Arkansas Symphony -1995-1999

Red River Radio (NPR affiliated network), appears weekly as producer of Regional Symphony Orchestra series, also appearing as soloist and conducting regularly on this series. Conducted concerts include performances by the South Arkansas Symphony and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra.

PBS-Showcase, appears as solo violinist and concertmaster on National broadcast of Evangeline: the Musical

AETN, - (Arkansas statewide public television) - Conducted the South Arkansas Symphony in a statewide broadcast of the Community Concert in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, February, 2000

Louisiana Public Broadcasting, - Featured as composer/conductor of original score to William Joyce’s The Leafmen and the Brave, Good Bugs in 1998. Also, as solo violinist/concertmaster of Evangeline: the Musical

National Public Radio - Produced audio recordings of National Symphony Orchestra, on tour of US.

MEMBERSHIPS: ASCAP, American Symphony Orchestra League, Conductors Guild, AFM - local 116

PUBLISHERS: Luck’s Music, Strings Attached Music, MMG music

REPRESENTATION: Price Rubin and Partners