CLARK TAKES 2ND JOB IN NEW JERSEY

Keith Clark, founding music director of the Orange County Pacific Symphony, has been named music director of the New Jersey-based Cathedral Concert Orchestra, in addition to his Orange County post.

The Newark-based ensemble was founded in 1983 by Thomas Michalak, who died last month.

Clark is set to conduct eight subscription concerts for the 1986-87 season. He will also lead the orchestra during its current residence at the Mozart Festival in Ocean Grove, N.J.

“It’s a marvelous opportunity to once again be involved in the very young life and exciting growth stages of an orchestra,” Clark said in a recent phone interview.

“I see no conflict between the two jobs. It’s good for everyone. It puts me more in contact with the New York-based music life, which is good for me as a musician not to be as isolated as it’s easy to get for a musician based on the West Coast.

“And it’s good for the (Pacific) Symphony to have me away a bit to bring back new ideas.”

Clark said he will not be as involved administratively with the New Jersey organization as he is with the Pacific Symphony.

“There my activities will be primarily musical. They have a tradition of playing a lot of contemporary music, which suits me just fine. There are a number of pieces I’ve been waiting to do.”

Clark said he will manage his East Coast duties by making “short visits, rarely for a couple of weeks. There are only two times in the upcoming season that I will be here on a Thursday, followed by a concert there on a Sunday.

“The majority of my time will be spent here.”

Clark foresees no immediate changes in his local responsibilities, although he believes that “in the future, there will be more guest conductors there--and more here.”

Clark is already scheduled to lead the Pacific Symphony in that orchestra’s classical and pops subscription season at the new Orange County Performing Arts Center, beginning Oct. 2.

Clark also will be leaving Friday for London where he will lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra in three recordings of music by contemporary American composer Richard Nanes.