The new leader of the band

Thursday, March 29, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

Age: 49

Background: He has served for 14 years as music director for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and two years as music director for the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra in Texas. He is a frequent guest conductor with orchestras across the country and a composer whose works include an oratorio, "Exodus," which was narrated by William Shatner at its premiere.

Last November's program as guest conductor: Hector Berlioz's "Overture to Beatrice and Benedict," Samuel Barber's cello concerto with guest cellist Matt Haimovitz, and Sergei Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony.

Family: His wife, Teri, who does Internet marketing research and acts in commercial and industrial films. Their daughter, Stasia, is 8 ; son, Christopher, is 18.

It's going to be a wild ride for David Itkin, the new musical director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

On Wednesday, Philharmonic officials announced that Itkin will take charge of the orchestra on July 1.

For the first year in Las Vegas, Itkin, 49, also will continue as music director for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, which he has led for 14 years, and the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra in Texas , which he has led for two years.

Although he has canceled most of his guest conducting appearances for next season, he's still looking at a schedule of 50 concerts for the 2007-08 season.

"It's going to be a lot of airplanes, but I've spent quite a few hours over the last couple of weeks looking at a big calender," Itkin said Wednesday from Arkansas after a rehearsal for a collegiate choral production of Brahms' "Requiem."

Itkin bowed out of the Arkansas Symphony's Fourth of July concert to conduct the Las Vegas Philharmonic's annual Fourth of July concert at Hills Park in Summerlin, which also will be the orchestra's ninth birthday.

Although he's not ready to announce it, he said he has planned next season's repertoire and guest artists. He said he has mixed some of his favorites and audience favorites.

Philip Koslow, executive director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, said Itkin was the orchestra's first choice and will bring "extraordinary vision and energy" to Las Vegas and the Philharmonic.

Itkin said he will move to Las Vegas in increments beginning in May with his wife, Teri, and daughter , Stasia, an 8-year-old violinist.

He said the Las Vegas Philharmonic will be his primary orchestra and he'll decide next season which other projects to continue. In addition to his positions with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra , he is a frequent guest lecturer and guest conductor throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Itkin replaces Hal Weller, who is retiring and has been named the Philharmonic's founding music director and conductor laureate. Weller will conduct his final concerts April 14 and May 5.

The Philharmonic drew more than 250 applicants when it began the search two years ago. Itkin was among the final three candidates , who included David Commanday of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Peter Rubardt of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Each candidate conducted the orchestra this season, and it was clearly an exciting season for the young Philharmonic. Audiences were enamored by each conductor for different reasons.

Itkin took the biggest risk by picking music that was challenging for the orchestra and the audience: Hector Berlioz's "Overture to Beatrice and Benedict," Samuel Barber's cello concerto, featuring guest cellist Matt Haimovitz, and Sergei Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony.

But his preconcert lecture and comments during the performance won over the crowd. The lecture and comments are a standard for Itkin.

After the last of the three audition concerts, concertmaster DeAnn Letourneau and associate concertmaster Martha Gronemeier met with musicians to discuss their choices. The two violinists represented the players on the search committee, which relayed its input to the executive committee and the Philharmonic board.

Although Itkin was selected unanimously, William Freyd, president and chief executive of the Philharmonic board, said the decision was difficult: "It got down to the fact that we had to pick one even though we loved all three. It boiled down to who we thought would fit best with our community and would best represent the orchestra."

Freyd said everyone appreciated Itkin's candor and his interest in the community and education.