Leslie Dunner | MUSIC DIRECTOR CANDIDATE

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
Leslie Dunner, conductor
Gina Perregrino, mezzo soprano

Bernstein Three Dance Episodes from On The Town
Weill The Seven Deadly Sins
Darzins Valse mélancolique
Respighi Feste Romane (Roman Festivals)

This performance is expected to last approximately two hours with one twenty-minute intermission.

Refreshments and restrooms are located in the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony-level lobbies.

Prepare for a thrilling musical journey that will have your heart racing and your soul soaring! Music Director candidate Leslie Dunner returns to the Tanger stage with a spectacular fusion of dynamic compositions. Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On The Town will set the stage on fire with its infectious rhythm and unbridled energy, sweeping you into the heart of a bustling city. Then, be captivated by the raw, dark allure of Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, a tale of temptation and redemption told through spellbinding vocal prowess of guest mezzo, Gina Perregrino. As the evening unfolds, you’ll be mesmerized by Darzins’ hauntingly beautiful Valse mélancolique and transported to the enchanting streets of Rome with Respighi’s Roman Festivals. This concert promises an unforgettable, emotionally charged experience that will leave you breathless and craving more.

Leslie Dunner, Conductor

Dr. Leslie B. Dunner is currently conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra. He is also interim artistic director of the South Shore Opera Company, where he has been music director since 2014, and resident conductor of New Jersey’s Trilogy: An Opera Company since 2018. His stirring performances with the Long Beach Opera of Anthony Davis’ historical work The Central Park Five received the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music.

Dunner served as music director of the Joffrey Ballet and music director for the symphony orchestras of Annapolis, Dearborn, and Nova Scotia. He spent 11 seasons at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), first as assistant, then associate, and finally as resident conductor, while serving concurrently as music director of the DSO’s youth orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra. Besides holding principal conducting positions at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Harlem Festival Orchestra, and Louisville Ballet, he undertook a season as interim music director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Gina Perregrino, Mezzo Soprano

Gina Perregrino is an American opera singer, teaching artist, writer, and arts advocate. Due to her notable work in opera, she has collaborated alongside authors such as Salmon Rushdie and Khaled Hosseini. Behind the screen, Gina has also been featured in the film Baawal (2023), directed by award winning director Nitesh Tiwari. The most recent opera/film-hybrid collaboration was with Afghan film director Roya Sadat and Roya Film House during the world premiere of the opera 1000 Splendid Suns with Seattle Opera. She has performed with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, Opera Philadelphia, The Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Ópera de Guatemala, The Atlanta Opera, OperaDelaware, and Central City Opera.
She is a regular performer with the Athena Music Foundation in New York City, where she is often called to sing programs centering around Bizet’s Carmen.