The Eastern Connecticut Symphony has this sort of reality TV thing going on, where they've auditioned six conductors ("Six different conductors, six different approaches, a yellow ballot sheet for each audience member to rate the conductor", and how scary is that?) and now the board of directors will make its pick. One of the finalists (Danail Rachev) dropped out, leaving five: and the final verdict is now imminent (the board of directors will make the pick). It's down to Toshiyuki Shimada, Elizabeth Schulze, David Commanday, Leslie B. Dunner, Sarah Hatsuko Hicks.
Opera Chic, on general principle, endorses Elizabeth Schulze because she's cool and her programs are interesting and she is, after all, the conductor who once gave the Baltimore Sun's priceless Tim Smith one of the best quotes in this young millennium as far as concert programming is concerned:
AAA+++ Would Conduct Again!!!