A NEW DIRECTION. The Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra (CVSO) has begun its latest series of performances for 2026-2027, "A Season of Discovery." The new season will showcase a handful of conductors, eligible to become the organization's next music director. (Former CVSO music director and conductor, Nobuyoshi Yasuda, pictured)

This fall season and into 2027, audiences are invited to experience imaginative realms of curiosity, emotion and human connection through musical storytelling. That journey, told through "A Season of Discovery," will also lead the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra (CVSO) to its next music director.

Following the legacy of former director Nobuyoshi Yasuda's 50-plus years of music-making here in the Chippewa Valley, this transitional season honors the CVSO's longtime efforts as it embarks on a new artistic chapter.

Three director finalists – Cullan Lucas, María Fátima Corona del Toro and Spencer Martin – have been chosen to conduct audition performances throughout the year. Each candidate will direct rehearsals, curate their own unique musical programs and lead the orchestra in concert to share their respective visions through sound.

Audiences and orchestra musicians will have the opportunity to share feedback via surveys at each performance. This input will directly assist the CVSO Board of Directors and a search committee to select its next music director.

CVSO music director finalist schedule,
2026-2027

Cullan Lucas – "Transatlantic Impressions"

7pm on Saturday, Sept. 26 (pre-concert talk at 6pm) | Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire)

"Peer through the looking glass and explore American identity through four distinct voices. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s 'Hiawatha Suite' draws on Longfellow’s American epic tale, while George Gershwin’s Concerto in F, featuring pianist Nicholas Phillips, captures the 'young, enthusiastic spirit of American life.' Music of Frederick Delius and Ethel Smyth reflect
transatlantic ties to America’s musical culture."

Spencer Martin – "Joys and Heartbreak: The Wayfarer’s Journey"

7pm on Saturday, Oct. 24 (pre-concert talk at 6pm) | Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire)

"From radiant brass to aching reflection and vibrant dance, this program journeys through
shifting emotional landscapes. Dukas’ brilliant 'Fanfare; from 'La Peri' and Dvořák’s sunlit Symphony No. 8 frame Mahler’s 'Songs of a Wayfarer,' performed by mezzo-soprano Christine Amon. Gershwin’s colorful 'Cuban Overture' brings the evening to an exuberant, rhythmic close."

María Fátima Corona del Toro – "Stories in Sound"

7pm on Saturday, Feb. 27 (pre-concert talk at 6pm) | Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire)

"Each piece weaves its own tale in this program of vivid musical storytelling. Humperdinck’s 'Prelude' from 'Hänsel und Gretel' sweeps us into a fairy-tale realm, Price’s Symphony No. 4 journeys across an American identity of struggle and resilience, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, featuring Christine Harada Li, soars with passion in a thrilling, triumphant finale."

We invite you to not only attend each of the performances throughout the season’s programming, but learn more about the finalists – including in this Q&A with Volume One – as they help guide the future of the CVSO.

Learn more about the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra's schedule for "A Season of Discovery" and purchase tickets to individual concerts, online at cvsymphony.org.

Cullan Lucas

V1: Where are you from, what is your musical background and what do you enjoy about classical music?

Cullan Lucas, pictured.

CL: "I’m originally from Houston, Texas, but I’ve lived in the Driftless region for about the last 9 years. I started off playing an instrument called the euphonium, which is like a small tuba, and much more common in the concert band world. Eventually, through conducting during my undergraduate career, I found my way to the orchestral side of things. For about the last 10 years, I’ve been conducting either professional or college orchestras (or both at the same time!) in some capacity."

"What I enjoy most about classical music is exploring new voices, experiences, and composers with orchestras and audiences, alike. Its such a fun time to be in this field."

V1: Do you have one piece of music you could listen to over and over again?

CL: "I often refer to this as my 'desert island piece' and its Aaron Copland’s 'Appalachian Spring.' I’ve loved Copland’s music for as long as I can remember, but 'Appalachian Spring' in particular has always resonated so deeply with me in its craft and care of the American spirit. It’s almost infectious with energy and development though a relatively short amount of time. I can’t get enough of it!"

V1: What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?

"I LOVE to bake! People are always surprised at my children’s birthday parties when they find out I’m the family baker, but its an art form in its own right. I love having something thats a few degrees separated from music to dive into when I’m balancing multiple projects."

V1: What excites you about the possibility of working with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra? 

CL: "What excites me most about the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra is its fantastic role as a community anchor in the region. CVSO has built a stellar reputation not just for great music, but for being deeply woven into the fabric of Eau Claire’s cultural scene. The chance to build on that by reaching new audiences, connecting with local schools and young musicians, and creating concert experiences that feel vibrant, welcoming, and fun is extraordinarily inspiring to me."

María Fátima Corona del Toro

V1: Where are you from, what is your musical background and what do you enjoy about classical music?

FC: "I am from Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. I started playing the violin when I was eight years old and became interested in conducting after completing my undergraduate degree."

"I enjoy all kinds of music, not just classical music. However, what I love most about classical music and orchestral performance is how it reflects society itself. Every musician has an individual voice, yet everyone must work together toward a common goal. I find that a beautiful analogy for how communities thrive."

María Fátima Corona del Toro, pictured.

V1: What first drew you to this artistic vocation and to conducting?

FC: "I started music at a very young age and grew up attending music camps, traveling throughout Mexico with orchestras, and performing as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Mexico. Along the way, I had the opportunity to work with many conductors.

What stood out to me, however, was that I never saw a female conductor. As a young musician, I simply did not realize that conducting was a path available to women as well."

"After completing my undergraduate degree, I returned to my hometown and joined a social music program called Esperanza Azteca. I began as a violin teacher, and just four months later I was offered a conducting position. It is a long story, but I was blessed to become the first female conductor in the program nationwide. That experience changed the course of my life and inspired me to pursue conducting professionally."

V1: On a Saturday in the Chippewa Valley, where might we find you?

FC: "I am still new to the area and discovering all that the Chippewa Valley has to offer. Right now, you are most likely to find me at the farmers market in Phoenix Park, enjoying the community atmosphere."

"Otherwise, I am probably at home relaxing, organizing something, or spending time with friends."

V1: What excites you about the possibility of working with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra? 

FC: "The Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra has such a rich history, and the opportunity to learn about the organization while sharing my own experiences through music is very exciting to me.

Spencer Martin

V1: Where are you from, what is your musical background and what do you enjoy about classical music?

Spencer Martin, pictured.

SM: "I grew up in rural Northern Indiana and music has been the central part of my professional life for many years. I’m a violist, conductor, and teacher, and for the past 25 years I’ve been on the faculty at Luther College, where I’m Professor of Music. I teach violin and viola, conduct the Luther College Philharmonia, and teach conducting. I’ve also spent much of my career performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician in the United States and abroad."

"What I love most about classical music is its seemingly endless capacity for discovery. You can know a piece for decades and suddenly hear something in it that you’ve never noticed before. I also love that it is fundamentally collaborative. Whether you are playing in a string quartet or conducting a symphony orchestra, you’re creating something that no one person can create alone."

V1: Do you have one piece of music you could listen to over and over again?

SM: "It is very difficult to choose just one piece, but Mahler would certainly be on that list, particularly his Songs of a Wayfarer. ... Apart from the thrilling bombast in his large symphonic scores (which I also love), Mahler can move very quickly between intimacy and enormous emotional intensity. There are moments of extraordinary beauty, but also loneliness, irony, tenderness and heartbreak.

"No matter how well you think you know the music, there always seems to be another detail to discover. For me, that is one of the marks of great music – you never quite finish with it."

V1: What is your best "well, that didn’t go as planned" story from your life as a musician or conductor, and how did you recover?

SM: "Given the region in which we live, weather has occasionally intervened in the best-laid plans. Twice, while conducting high school honors orchestras, incoming winter storms forced us to move the concert earlier in the day and cut our rehearsal time short. In both cases, the result was not at all what I expected. Perhaps because of the excitement of the approaching weather – and the realization that we had less time than we thought - the students became incredibly focused."

"Both performances were actually better than I had anticipated. It was a good reminder that sometimes a little pressure and unpredictability can bring out the very best in musicians."

V1: What excites you about the possibility of working with the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra? 

SM: "What excites me is both the orchestra and the community around it. I’m really looking forward to getting into the room with these musicians, rehearsing together and discovering what we can create. Leading an orchestra is very much about relationships and you learn a tremendous amount about an orchestra simply by making music together."

"I’m also impressed by Eau Claire’s commitment to the arts. When I visited the Pablo Center, I was struck not only by the beauty of the facility but by what it represents. ... A symphony orchestra can be an important part of a city’s identity and I would be very excited to be part of that."

These interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity for Volume One.