SASO hosting German guest conductor for Beethoven concert

Beethoven is part of German conductor/pianist Matthias Manasi’s musical DNA so when he got the invite to guest conduct an all-Beethoven program in Tucson, he jumped. As a bonus, he also gets to solo on piano with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra in two performances this weekend.

“I am very much looking forward to collaborating with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra,” he said in an email interview from Germany last week.

Tucson is only the second American city to host Manasi, who has an active conducting career in Europe. He has conducted twice in Buffalo, New York, with the Nickel City Opera; he has been the company’s music director since 2017.