Pacific Symphony’s Newest Addition

Mark Mandarano, resident conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra of New York, has been named assistant conductor of the Pacific Symphony. His one-year contract begins Aug. 1, and his duties will also include serving as music director of both the Pacific Symphony Orchestral Institute, based at Cal State Fullerton, and the Youth Orchestra.

Mandarano, 33, replaces Elizabeth Stoyanovich, who will leave the post after three years to become associate conductor of the Spokane Symphony in Washington.

Mandarano was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., and received a bachelor’s degree in music theory from Cornell University, a master’s degree in conducting from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a diploma with honors from the Fontainebleu Conservatory in France.

He has conducted in Russia, leading the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Moscow Conservatory College Orchestra. In the United States he has been a guest with the Richmond (Va.) Symphony, the Sound Symphony of New York, the Charleston (S.C.) Symphony and the Greenwich Village (N.Y.) Orchestra. He has been resident conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra for four years.