Carl St.Clair, music director of the Pacific Symphony, is conducting his 35th season with the acclaimed group and preparing to pass the baton to a new leader next year.
By Sharon Stello
Carl St.Clair, beloved music director of the Pacific Symphony, has embarked on his final season conducting the orchestra before welcoming a new leader for a transition period next season. St.Clair, recognized as the longest-tenured, American-born conductor of a major U.S. orchestra, will have served for 35 years when he steps into the music director laureate role in 2025-26.
Alexander Shelley will become the symphony’s third music director, starting in a “designate” position next season—with St.Clair helping to provide a seamless transition—before assuming full artistic leadership in 2026-27. Shelley has served as both music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada, and principal associate conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2015.
Pacific Symphony is the largest budgeted orchestra formed in the past 50 years, going from a $2 million to $24 million operation since it was established 46 years ago. Under St.Clair’s leadership, the group has celebrated many milestones including a nine-city European tour in 2006.
“This was a huge litmus test, putting Pacific Symphony under the scrutiny of traditional European audiences and arts critics,” St.Clair recalls. “We returned with glowing reviews. This was an important step in that we were about to make the state-of-the-art concert hall, the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, our home.”
In 2018, the symphony marked this trifecta: a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a five-city tour in China and a performance of Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” which was recorded for PBS special “Great Performances.” Commissioning new pieces, education and outreach are also core to the symphony’s mission, St.Clair says, “allowing music to lift spirits, warm hearts and bring light into the lives of all we touch.”
“Being the music director of Pacific Symphony for all these years has been a great gift and one I have not taken for granted,” St.Clair says. “Both personally and professionally, it has been an incredible journey. There are so many moments in the symphony’s life which bring me and the Pacific Symphony ‘family’ a wondrous sense of pride. Among the most important on this list would be the relationship we have built with you, our community, Orange County.
“The acceptance we have been afforded as an important and vital cultural organization, a beacon of artistic achievement for OC, and the heartfelt embrace of our mission and aspirations have been a constant source of motivation and inspiration. For this, we are sincerely thankful.”
Although St.Clair is on the path to stepping down from this podium, he’s not hanging up his baton. “One of the best things about being a conductor is that you never really retire,” St.Clair says. “My teacher said that it’s one of the few things you can do at 90 and be better at it than when you were 25.”
He returns next season to conduct four concerts with Pacific Symphony including its annual concert-produced opera. He will also be traveling—a lot—in part to work with the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra in Germany, continuing his 28-year relationship with the group after recently receiving the title of honorary guest conductor for life. Not to mention his continued connection with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, where he was director titular for 10 years. He plans a return to Thailand to conduct three sets of concerts in Bangkok with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and, in Japan, he will continue working with the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, whose Maestro Ozawa—St. Clair’s last living mentor and teacher—passed away earlier this year.
Closer to home, St.Clair looks forward to returning as a guest to many American orchestras and summer festivals and will continue as artistic leader and principal conductor of the orchestral and large ensemble program at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.
Looking ahead with high hopes for the Pacific Symphony’s future, St.Clair says, “The orchestra is primed and ready to take a new flight, heading further into the 21st century and coming up on its 50th anniversary. They have big moments ahead of them and I look forward to sharing them with our community.”
St.Clair and his wife, Susan, live in Laguna Beach, but enjoy spending some time in Newport Beach when they have a chance between his symphony rehearsals at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
A Stroll in the Garden
When he has a spare moment, St.Clair can occasionally be found soaking in the inspirational settings at ROGER’S GARDENS. “[It’s] so beautifully decorated—great ideas for home and garden creations,” he says. “[I] love just strolling through and taking in all the beautiful plants and decorative ideas.”
Italian Eats
For dining, MODO MIO is high on his list. “What scrumptious Italian cuisine,” he says. “Everything is incredible. Sometimes I stop by on my way home from a rehearsal just to get three or four orders of their sauteed mushrooms. Susan loves those.”
In the Zone
Through the years, St.Clair’s family has been particularly fond of the BALBOA FUN ZONE. “Since our children were tiny tots, spending a weekend afternoon in the Fun Zone was a family favorite outing,” he says. “The kids loved it. Of course, we had to take the ferry over.”
Festive Finds
Particularly at the holidays, St.Clair enjoys a visit to Fashion Island. “It’s got everything one needs, year-round,” he says. “Stopping by to shop and marvel at the giant Christmas tree is a seasonal must—so impressive every year. [And] a stop by R&D [KITCHEN] is always on the list while at Fashion Island.”
