Atherton Plans 10-Day Festival of Music at Old Globe Next Year

David Atherton, former music director of the San Diego Symphony, will re-enter the local music scene next June with a 10-day music festival at the Old Globe Theatre. The British maestro said this week that his “Mainly Mozart” festival will include seven orchestral concerts with Atherton on the podium and two programs of chamber music.

Atherton has been absent from San Diego music-making since he resigned his symphony post in February, 1987, during the orchestra’s canceled season. According to some of the symphony players, Atherton’s authoritarian demeanor and treatment of the musicians was one of the major factors in their dispute with management. Laurie Waddy, founding president of the “Mainly Mozart” festival, dismissed this controversy as part of the past.

“David has a large following in San Diego. We anticipate no lack of public support for the festival,” she said.

Waddy was president of the San Diego Symphony board from 1976-78. She said that she had resigned all her symphony responsibilities a year ago.

While Atherton continues as principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony and does guest conducting in Europe and North America, he stated that his fond memories of making music in San Diego have brought him back to the city whenever his schedule allowed.

“The idea of having a festival here came to me while I was attending a performance of ‘Love’s Labors Lost’ at the Festival Stage earlier this season,” Atherton said.

All of the music festival performances, scheduled to run June 2-11, will be given on the outdoor Lowell Davis Festival Stage. According to Tom Hall, Old Globe Theatre managing director, the company moved its 1989 season up a week to accommodate Atherton’s music festival.

“It took me all of 30 seconds to say yes when David proposed the festival,” Hall said.