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Peninsula Symphony Orchestra Names Three Music Director Finalists as Mitchell Sardou Klein Retires After 42 Years to Become Music Director Laureate
Each finalist will lead a subscription concert during the 2026–27 season as the orchestra selects its next artistic leader
LOS ALTOS, Calif., August 1, 2026 - The Peninsula Symphony Orchestra has named three finalists in its search for a new music director, each of whom will conduct a subscription concert during the orchestra's 2026–27 season. The announcement comes as Mitchell Sardou Klein, the orchestra's music director for 42 years, prepares to retire at the close of the season and continue in a new role as music director laureate.
Klein's departure brings to a close one of the longest music director tenures in the region. He will lead his final subscription program as music director in May 2027, conducting the Season 78 finale “The Maestros” that features Van Cliburn winner Jon Nakamatsu, before continuing with the orchestra as laureate.
The three finalists - Pola Benke, Brad Hogarth and Samantha Burgess - will each conduct one program next season, giving the orchestra's musicians, patrons and the broader community a chance to experience each conductor's work firsthand. Benke will lead "John Williams' World" in October 2026, Hogarth will conduct "Transformations" in January 2027, and Burgess will lead "The Planets" in March 2027. A new music director is expected to be in place for the orchestra's 79th season.
"It has been a great honor to be leading the extraordinary and dedicated musicians of this orchestra for more than four decades, many of whom have been with us throughout my tenure," Klein said. "The search process to find a new Music Director has been invigorating, with a robust group of superbly qualified applicants from all over the U.S. and abroad. I am very confident that we will complete this search on time, and engage a new, visionary musical leader for the next generation of the Peninsula Symphony."
Klein added: "I am deeply grateful to look back on the growth of the Peninsula Symphony over these years, reflected in many memorable performances, collaborations with fabulous soloists, and outreach to many levels of our Peninsula community. All of this was only possible because of the unstinting team effort of our musicians, staff, board, audience, and larger community."
Ben Hollin, who chairs both the music director search committee and the PSO board, said the response to the opening reflected the standard Klein set.
"When we announced that the Music Director position would open for Season 79, we received nearly 100 applications from conductors around the world, including résumés, performance videos, and letters of recommendation," Hollin said. "As chair of the search committee, I was struck by both the exceptional caliber of the candidates and their shared commitment not only to artistic excellence, but also to innovative programming, community engagement, and making symphonic music relevant to today's audiences."
"Inviting each of our three finalists to conduct a subscription program next season is a vital part of the selection process," Hollin added. "It gives our musicians, patrons, and the broader community the opportunity to experience each conductor's unique artistic vision firsthand. Their feedback, together with the perspectives of our orchestra musicians, will play an important role in helping us select the next Music Director to lead the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra into its next chapter."
About the Finalists
Pola Benke — "John Williams' World," October 2 & 4, 2026
Born in Poland, Benke was recently appointed music director of the Santa Monica Symphony and assistant conductor of the Pacific Symphony, and previously served as assistant conductor of the Long Beach Symphony and the Riverside Philharmonic. She holds master's degrees in both cello performance and orchestral conducting, a dual background she draws on to pair standard repertoire with works by historically underrepresented composers. Her training includes work with Neeme Järvi, Sian Edwards and Paavo Järvi, and study at the Järvi Academy in Estonia and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
Brad Hogarth — "Transformations," January 9 & 10, 2027
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hogarth is music director of the Juneau Symphony, professor of conducting at San Francisco State University, associate conductor of the Monterey Symphony and music director of both the Art Haus Collective and the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. He is also on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has appeared as a guest conductor with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Ballet and Symphony San Jose, among others, and is an accomplished trumpeter who has recorded with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Ballet. He earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Samantha Burgess — "The Planets," March 13 & 14, 2027
Burgess, who moved to the Bay Area in 2022, is music director of the Community Women's Orchestra and the first music director of Symphony Tierra, the ensemble in residence at Napa Valley College. She currently serves on the Peninsula Symphony's artistic staff as assistant conductor and holds the same title with the Berkeley Symphony, and has been invited as a cover conductor with the San Francisco Symphony. She holds master's degrees in orchestral conducting and music theory from The Ohio State University and combines her conducting with a background in music cognition research to develop multimedia performances.
About Mitchell Sardou Klein
Mitchell Sardou Klein has led the Peninsula Symphony for 42 years, bringing to the podium conducting experience across the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan. He has guest conducted the Seattle Symphony and numerous other orchestras in the U.S. and Europe, and in California has led Symphony Silicon Valley, the San Jose Symphony, the Santa Rosa Symphony and others. He is the founder and music director of the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, which he has taken on concert tours throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and he previously served as associate conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic and music director of the Santa Cruz Symphony.
Since 1984, Klein has directed the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, held in San Francisco each June, which has become one of the most prominent competitions of its kind, drawing applicants from more than 20 nations each year. Born in New York City into a musical family, he began cello studies at age 4 with his father, Irving Klein, founder of the Claremont Quartet, and performed for many years as a cellist before turning to the podium. Known to most everyone as Mitch, he lives in Oakland, Calif., with his wife, violist Patricia Whaley.
About the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1949, the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra of more than 90 musicians serving audiences across the San Francisco Peninsula and the surrounding Santa Clara and San Mateo county region. Each season the orchestra presents subscription concerts in October, January, March and May, featuring beloved masterworks and first-class guest artists at accessible ticket prices, along with an annual November concert with the Stanford Symphonic Chorus, a free Family Concert in April, and Summer Concerts each June that showcase the full orchestra as well as its individual sections, such as strings and brass. The orchestra is home to the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition and the Young Musician Competition, and it extends its reach through PSO Presents, a chamber music and outreach initiative that sends PSO musicians and friends into the community for free concerts. Mitchell Sardou Klein has served as music director since 1985. For tickets and more information, visit peninsulasymphony.org.
The music director candidates, Chelsea Chambers, Executive Director, Mitchell Sardou Klein and Ben Hollin are available for interview upon request. Photographs are also available.
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