MidAmerica Productions Founder Peter Tiboris Has Passed Away

MidAmerica Productions Founder and General Music Director, Peter Tiboris, has passed away. For over four decades, maestro Peter Tiboris dedicated his life to transforming MidAmerica Productions into a world-renowned institution, bringing music to life on global stages, including the prestigious Carnegie Hall. His remarkable vision and passion shaped the organization and touched the lives of countless musicians and audiences alike.

Peter Tiboris leaves behind an unparalleled legacy of excellence, creativity, and dedication to the performing arts. As his family mourns the loss, they are committed to ensuring his life's work continues flourishing.

E. Peter Tiboris, son of Peter Tiboris and now Chairman of the Board of Directors of MidAmerica Productions, shared his reflections: "For over 40 years, my sister Stephanie and I witnessed our father's leadership and passion firsthand. He was a visionary whose love for music brought together people from all over the world. While we're heartbroken by his loss, we take comfort in knowing that the legacy he built will live on through every performance we give."

The leadership of MidAmerica Productions will remain firmly in the hands of Peter Tiboris' family: son E. Peter Tiboris, daughter Stephanie Tiboris, and his widow, Eilana Lappalainen. In addition, MidAmerica Productions will continue to be led by a highly experienced executive team: Chief Executive Officer James E. Redcay III, Chief Operating Officer Eric Spiegel, Chief of Account Operations Joyce Howard-Brazel, Director of Program Development Christian Harden, and Director of Public Relations and Audience Development Andrea Niederman. The dedicated support staff will remain in place to continue the administrative and detailed work of planning and executing the 2025 concert season and MidAm International residencies.

CEO James E. Redcay III expressed his admiration for Peter Tiboris and reaffirmed the company's commitment to the future: "Peter was a visionary leader, a mentor, and a friend. His influence in the world of music is immeasurable, and he has left us with an indelible legacy to uphold. The entire team at MidAmerica is committed to honoring Peter's memory by continuing to bring world-class musical experiences to audiences everywhere. The 2025 season promises to be our largest in a decade and is a testament to his life's work and the amazing team he built to bring his vision to life."

The 2025 season is set to be a memorable tribute to Peter Tiboris' life, featuring an array of events including a Weill Recital Hall debut from the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Piano Trio on Friday, March 14, 2025, a 41st season opener at Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with the US Premiere of Paul A. Aitken's Missa Pro Terra: A Mass for the Earth on Saturday, March 15, 2025, and many world-class performances by the New England Symphonic Ensemble and participating choirs from around the globe.

Reflecting on Peter's legacy, MidAmerica Productions Associate General Director and International Festival of the Aegean General Director and Artistic Director Eilana Lappalainen shared, "Peter's passion for music and his unwavering dedication to MidAmerica Productions will forever remain a beacon of inspiration for all who knew him. While his absence leaves an undeniable void, his spirit will live on in the performances and artists he so deeply cherished."

Stephanie Tiboris Marotto, reflecting on the future, added: "Our father had a remarkable gift for surrounding himself with exceptional people, and we are confident in the team he built. Together, we will continue the mission he began-to bring transformative musical experiences to audiences around the world."

In 2024, to mark both his 75th birthday and the 40th anniversary of MidAmerica Productions, Peter Tiboris, together with biographer Alex Kitroeff, released his biography, Peter Tiboris: A Musical Odyssey (available at midamerica-music.com/petertiborisbiography). "Forty years is a big achievement," said Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall.

In the book's foreword, renowned composer Sir John Rutter CBE reflects: "Could anyone have accomplished what Peter has accomplished? Peter's combination of musical insight, vision, energy, commitment, and determination to make the most of whatever opportunities life offers is, to say the least, uncommon. He is modest enough to claim "it's all about the music," and of course it is, but I believe you will come away from reading this book thinking "Yes, but there's a lot more to it than that." I for one have been inspired by reading about it all, in this engaging chronicle of a remarkable life."

MidAmerica Productions invites its community of supporters to join them in celebrating the life and legacy of Peter Tiboris through the upcoming concert season, ensuring that his passion for music lives on.

About Peter Tiboris, Founder and General Music Director of MidAmerica Productions
(October 31, 1947- September 17, 2024)

Greek-American conductor, music director, and impresario Peter Tiboris was a transformative figure in the international music scene for more than 50 years. Hailed "The most prolific presenter of choral concerts in the history of Carnegie Hall" by the Director of the Rose Museum and Archives at Carnegie Hall, Peter Tiboris was the General and Music Director of MidAmerica Productions since its founding in 1983. Mr. Tiboris was instrumental in the presentation of over 1,500 concerts worldwide. His leadership brought performances to iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher (now David Geffen) Hall, and Alice Tully Hall, where he made his New York debut in 1984 with the American Symphony Orchestra.

In 2004, Mr. Tiboris founded MidAm International, which extended his vision to major cultural centers across Europe, producing concerts in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Florence, Lisbon, and Moscow. A year later, he launched the International Festival of the Aegean on the Greek island of Syros, offering international-caliber performances spanning opera, symphonic works, Greek folk music, and ballet. In 2011, the Festival was named "Best Cultural Organization Operating in the Wider Region of Greece" by the Union of Greek Theatre and Music Critics in Athens.

Mr. Tiboris' conducting repertoire was vast, ranging from major choral works to symphonies, operas, and ballets, including numerous world and American premieres. Among the distinguished orchestras he conducted were London's Royal Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Moscow Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra, and the National Opera Orchestra of Cairo. His ballet engagements included collaborations with the Balletto di Verona and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, where his production of Peer Gynt was named "Ballet of the Year" by Danza e Danza Magazine.

In 1995, Maestro Tiboris founded Elysium Recordings, which has a catalog of 27 releases, many of which feature him as conductor. His discography also includes world-premiere recordings of works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert which are currently available to listen on all streaming platforms.

Mr. Tiboris studied music at the University of Wisconsin and earned his doctorate from the University of Illinois. His remarkable career, spanning continents and genres, left an indelible mark on the world of classical music.

ABOUT MIDAMERICA PRODUCTIONS

Peter Tiboris created and conducted his first concert in New York on January 7, 1984, at Lincoln Center, featuring The American Symphony Orchestra, soloists, and three choruses, the Louisiana Chorale of Acadiana, Camerata Singers of Baton Rouge, and Collegiate Chorale of New York. Although he didn't realize it at the time, Mr. Tiboris had just created his own, successful, production company, MidAmerica Productions, which was to become the foremost independent producer of choral concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. During its 40 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, soloists, and choral and instrumental ensembles from the U.S. and abroad to appear at New York's top venues, including Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Weill Recital Hall, and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall; and Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall) at Lincoln Center. Additionally, MidAmerica Productions has presented concerts in numerous U.S. cities and in countries throughout the world, including Greece, England, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, and Russia.

MidAmerica Productions's concerts have showcased choral groups singing oratorios with talented conductors, full orchestra, and professional soloists; individual instrumental and choral groups performing as part of the Ensemble Spotlight Series; and solo recitals. Diverse programs have included Madrigal Festivals, Vocal Jazz Festivals, National Wind Ensemble, National Festival Youth Orchestra, and Sweet Adelines. Among the renowned guest conductors who have led MidAmerica's concerts are John Rutter (who has conducted more than 130 concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall), Sherrill Milnes, Lukas Foss, Helmuth Rilling, H. Robert Reynolds, JoAnne Falletta, Michael Morgan, and Jonathan Willcocks. More than 800 conductors have conducted on MidAmerica's series in New York and abroad, sharing the stage with 1300 solo artists from the world's greatest opera companies and concert stages, and 3700 choral ensembles from the U.S. and abroad. There have been 174 youth and collegiate orchestras as well as 146 youth and collegiate bands, jazz bands, and wind ensembles. Over the years, MidAmerica has commissioned new works and presented numerous premieres in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.

World premieres have included Dinos Constantinides' Byron's Greece, Hymn to the Human Spirit, and Midnight Fantasy II for wind ensemble; John Rutter's Cantate Domino, Distant Land, Magnificat, and Mass of the Children; and John Leavitt's A Christmas Garland. U.S. premieres have featured new and older works such as Mozart's Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, Reimann's Concerto for Violin and Cello, Tchaikovsky's Ode to Joy, Mikis Theodorakis' Electra and Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, and René Clausen's Hellas: In the Name of Freedom. In 2015, John Rutter conducted the New York premiere of his work, Canticles of Creation; in 2018, he returned to conduct the Carnegie Hall premiere of his major work, Visions, in 2023 he returned to conduct the NY premiere of his work, Taranto: A Cathedral Triptych. In addition to its Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage series, MidAmerica Productions has presented nearly 400 chamber music concerts in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall since 1989. Distinguished soloists, chamber ensembles, and members of orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic have appeared on MidAmerica's chamber music series.