By AP
Paducah, KY – The Paducah Symphony Orchestra has a full-time conductor for the first time. Orchestra chairman Patrick Kerr tapped Raffaele Ponti, currently the music director for three orchestras in New York and conductor for the Italia Konzert Opera and Toscana Opera Festival.
The symphony announced Ponti as its conductor and artistic director Saturday night after its "Sacred and Sublime" concert. Kerr said Ponti's contract is a three-year commitment. Ponti, who lives in New York and is considering moving to Paducah, says he feels honored and ready to get to work. The hiring caps a yearlong search that drew more than 70 applicants for the job.