Jennifer Fultz, President of the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, announces the departure of Executive Director Joshua Banda and welcomes Marina Rojas as she steps into the role. Banda served for over five years with the symphony and will be relocating out of state with his family for a new opportunity. “We thank Josh for his enthusiasm and vision for the Sequoia Symphony Orchestra, and the exciting programming he helped bring to our community. Under his leadership the symphony experienced
tremendous growth, even during the unprecedented challenges of the last few years. We will miss him and wish him the best in his future endeavors. We are very excited to welcome Marina Rojas as our Executive Director and, with her leadership, look forward to continuing the symphony’s growth and positive impact in our communities.”, says Fultz.
Rojas has held roles with organizations such as the Tulare County Association of Realtors, Spirit 88.9/100.1, The Visalia Fox Theatre, and recently was the Director of Marketing for the Visalia Rawhide. She brings experience in non-profit work, community relations, social media, marketing, and entertainment. “The Sequoia Symphony Orchestra is an exceptional organization and it is an honor to serve in this capacity,” says Rojas. “I look forward to working with Bruce (Kiesling – Musical Director), Louise (Gutierrez – Orchestra Manager), the board and community partners, to continue to bring the wonderful experience of the symphony to all in the Central Valley.”
Most recently, the symphony released a special recording of O Holy Night featuring Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre from 98 Degrees, Jamie Jones from All-4-One, and Erik Michael Estrada from O-Town. The music video was filmed at the historic Visalia Fox Theatre a few months ago. (Click HERE to view the video) Jeff and Bruce Kiesling grew up together and were finally able to collaborate on this special holiday project this year. As of December 20, the song has reached the top ten on the holiday charts.
The symphony has four remaining concerts in their 2022-2023 season, the next being “Tchaikovsky’s Last Note” on Saturday, February 4, at 7:30 P.M. at The Visalia Fox Theatre. Tchaikovsky’s heart-on-the-sleeve passion is everywhere in this program, from the virtuosic delights of his violin concerto to the deep power of his final symphony — when he seems to foreshadow his own death only days after the premiere. Doors open at 6:30 P.M. with a pre-show talk with Bruce Kiesling at 6:45 P.M.
Tickets and sponsorship levels for all remaining shows this season are available. More information can be found at SequoiaSymphonyOrchestra.com or by calling 559-732-8600.
Welcome to our fabulous symphony! Bruce is trying to get younger people involved and I thought he might get Lizzo to perform for us. She is a classically trained flutist and rapper who comes from Detroit. MAYBE she would donate her time for us. What a coup.
Yawn…the broken record of uppercrust in the arts. Only the suffering and down trodden are the real makers of music. The wealthy sit back in the balcony listening, serving in the board, and drinking fine wine. Let them eat cake and give us a show!