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Currently leading his 29th season as Music Director of the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, KERMIT POLING is consistently hailed as an inspiring, passionate presence in American music. The classical music magazine Fanfare wrote, “The Romantic spirit lives, breathes and flourishes in Kermit Poling”, remarking on his “quite natural musicianship” and a “Schubertian gift for melody.” Concurrently. He also serves as Music Director of Texas’ Marshall Symphony Orchestra, his appointment having started with the 2014-2015 season.
Kermit Poling conducts internationally, while his compositions are also performed throughout the world. He has led concerts with the Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, among many others. In 2017, Mr. Poling conducted his debut recording with the London Symphony Orchestra for an album of his compositions on the Centaur label. Fanfare welcomed the release as “a fabulous disc, splendidly recorded and executed.” His Symphony #2, “The Angels Gathered” received its world premiere at the October, 2023 Shreveport Summer Music Festival.
Kermit Poling’s compositions have excited audiences everywhere. His Symphony #1 “Shreveport Symphony” was premiered by Michael Butterman and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Within the Orb of Glories Wearing, his first string quartet, received its international television debut in 2017 on the EWTN cable network. Ballet companies throughout the United States, including Ballet Des Moines, the University of Hartford, Ballet Oklahoma, Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet and The Pennsylvania Ballet have commissioned and performed his works: The Beautiful Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Fairy Rhymes, Peter Pan, Prince Charming, Snow White. His scores to the silent films Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Caligari, Tarzan of the Apes and for the documentary Tarzan: Lord of the Louisiana Jungle won accolades throughout the country. January, 2023 heard the premiere of his guitar concerto, featuring Lily Afshar, while The Angels Gathered Symphony for chorus, soloists and orchestra was premiered by the Shreveport Summer Music Festival in October 2023 and subsequently seen on the EWTN cable network throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Kermit Poling studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music and The Tanglewood Music Center, where he worked with Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Gustav Meier and Seiji Ozawa. He is the winner of the Silver Medal from the 2019 International Global Music Awards, a 2000 Outstanding Artist in Music Fellowship from the State of Louisiana and two music fellowships from the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. In 2012, Mr. Poling received a career advancement award from the State of Louisiana.
A featured conductor on NPR’s Performance Today, Arkansas Educational Television Network, Red River Radio Network and Boston’s WGBH, Kermit Poling has also been seen and heard as a violinist on Louisiana Public Television and PBS, in addition to numerous television and radio stations throughout the United States.
Passionately devoted to musical education, Kermit Poling has served on the faculty of Centenary College, Texarkana Community College, Boston Conservatory and Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. He has also been an artist in residence and taught masterclasses at the University of Delaware, Kilgore College and Stephen F. Austin State University.
Off the podium, Kermit Poling serves as Choirmaster and Organist at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Bossier City, Louisiana and is the General Manager and well-known classical music voice of Red River Radio (KDAQ Public Radio).
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Poling: Concierto De Chiaro (Guitar Concerto #1) soloist: Giovanni De Chiaro Poling: Along These Footsteps to Paradise (Suite for Strings #2) Kermit Poling/London Symphony Orchestra
CENTAUR: CRC3594 |
Poling led the orchestra in a polished performance. He proved himself to be an intelligent, knowledgeable leader on the podium and the orchestra played superbly.
THE SHREVEPORT JOURNAL
The orchestra responded well to Poling’s instructions and urgings. The same enthusiasm percolated through the performance of the Prokofiev [Symphony #1].
SHREVEPORT TIMES
There is some fine music making going on outside of Little Rock. Kermit Poling set good tempos and dynamics and the orchestral balance were particularly good. The finale was brass heaven.
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Symphony puts a rousing end to the season [headline]
The Shreveport Symphony couldn’t have planned a better ending to its season. You not only got passionate Russian composers, but two pianists of the gold medal variety. For a bonus, resident conductor and concertmaster, Kermit Poling, and the orchestra outdid themselves on a stunning concert that was satisfying and thrilling.
FORUM MAGAZINE
With Kermit Poling conducting, Judas Maccabaeus shivered through moments of grief and exulted in celebrations of victory.
SHREVEPORT TIMES
Poling’s directing style is dynamic and graceful. It was a rousing performance.
EL DORADO NEWS-TIMES (Louisiana)
When one of the world’s great orchestral organizations, the London Symphony Orchestra in this case, takes up the works by a contemporary composer, a certain imprimatur of worthiness and importance is conferred upon that composer and his or her music. I think you will find in these works [Poling Guitar Concerto #1; Suite #2 for Strings] by Kermit Poling some of the most gorgeous sounds ever to caress your ears and touch your heart. As a performing violinist with many years of orchestral experience, Poling really knows his way around the orchestra. His scoring, particularly in the guitar concerto is both brilliant and breathtaking; and his unerring sense for melodic and harmonic ideation would be the envy of any number of composers past and present.
FANFARE (Jerry Dubins)
Poling is very much his own man as a composer. His music has the stamp of an individual talent and sensitivity. It is extremely likable music, to which the term neo-romantic may be applied. The performances [Poling Guitar Concerto #1; Suite #2 for Strings] are authoritative and the sound engineering is excellent. Kermit Poling is a musician it is very difficult not to like. He definitely ia an American composer to reckon with. Highly recommended.
FANFARE (David Saemann)
| 8/26/2023 (7pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA El Dorado Courthouse (outdoors) “Patriotic Pops” |
| 9/9/2023 (7pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA El Dorado Municipal Auditorium Poling: Beauty & the Beast |
| 9/30/2023 (7pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) Marshall Downtown Courthouse (outdoors) “Rock/Country Pops” |
| 10/8/2023 (5pm) | SHREVEPORT SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Holy Trinity Catholic Church Poling: Symphony #2 (world premiere) |
| 10/14/2023 (7pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) Marshall High School Auditorium Copland: Rodeo (suite) |
| 10/28/2023 (7pm) | ORCHESTRA INDIANA Cornerstone Center for the Arts (Muncie) Poling: The Cabinet of Sr. Caligari (with silent film) |
| 11/11/2023 (7pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) East Texas Baptist University Auditorium Stravinsky: Suite #2 for Small Orchestra |
| 11/12/2023 (3pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Jefferson Stravinsky: Suite #2 for Small Orchestra |
| 12/2/2023 (7pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA El Dorado Municipal Auditorium Pops: “Christmas Around the World” |
| 12/9/2023 (6:30pm) 12/10/2023 (6:30pm) |
SHREVEPORT METROPOLITAN BALLET (LA) RiverView Theater Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker |
| 1/20/2024 (7pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA South Arkansas Arts Center (El Dorado) Mozart: Piano Concerto #9 |
| 1/24-27/2024 | SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (LA) RiverView Theater LinkedIn: “The Orchestra Moves” |
| 2/17/2024 (7pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) Memorial City Hall Performance Center “Baroque Tales” |
| 2/18/2024 (3pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Jefferson) “Baroque Tales” |
| 4/6/2024 (6:30pm) 4/7/2024 (2:30pm) |
SHREVEPORT METROPOLITAN BALLET (LA) RiverView Theater Poling: Beauty & the Beast |
| 4/13/2024 (7pm) | MARSHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (TX) East Texas Baptist University Auditorium various opera excerpts |
| 4/27/2024 (7pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA El Dorado Municipal Auditorium Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel |
| 5/18/2024 | SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (LA) Concert in the Park |
| 5/25/2024 (8pm) | SOUTH ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA El Dorado Square |
| 6/9/2024 (3pm) | SHREVEPORT SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Holy Cross Episcopal Church |
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Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty (Suite; opening excerpt) |
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Stravinsky: L’Histoire du soldat |
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Beethoven: Symphony #9 in d, Op. 125 (mvt. IV - excerpt with chorus) |
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Puccini: Madama Butterfly (“Tu, tu, piccolo Iddio!”) |