SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Symphony is excited to announce multiple new additions to their symphony orchestra and board of Trustees for the 2023-2024 season.
Shira Samuels-Shragg has been named assistant conductor. Shragg attended Swarthmore College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a minor in German Studies. In May 2022, Shragg graduated from The Julliard School with a Master of Music in orchestra conducting.
“Shira is passionate about sharing the wonders of music with young audiences and is a believer in music’s power to connect and heal as evident in her past conducting of the recent Spokane Symphony sensory-friendly concert, Free Family Concert, and Symphony Day performances,” the Marketing Director for the Spokane Symphony, Kathy Gustafson, said.
The symphony’s board of trustees welcomed a new board president. Arsen Kitch has served as the president and CEO of Clearwater Paper since 2020. Kitch also has experience with Nestlé USA, KKR Capstone, and Frito-Lay. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Two orchestra members have also been welcomed to the symphony.
Clinton Webb will be the new principal horn of the symphony. Prior to moving to Spokane, Webb held positions in the Flint Symphony, the Tulsa Symphony and was a full-time private teacher in the Houston area. He earned his Masters’s Degree in Horn from The Julliard School and has studied with many well-known names such as Myron Bloom at Indiana University, Elizabeth Freimuth, Thomas Bacon and Andrew Pelletier of Bowling Green State University.
Sam Thackston has been added as Violin two chair seven. Thackston was born and raised in Spokane, graduating from Whitworth University in 2022, where he won the concerto competition twice. “His dedication and commitment to his craft have paved the way for his successful entry into Spokane’s professional music community,” said Gustafson. “The Spokane Symphony looks forward to a bright and promising season backed by these new talents and is eager to embrace their contributions towards growth and excellence in Spokane.”
The Spokane Symphony 2023-2024 season will begin on Sept. 16.
