As the longtime conductor of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO), Christopher Zimmerman has made his mark on the local music scene. And at the orchestra’s May 31 concert, he’ll celebrate 15 years as its music and artistic director.

Over the years, he’s prioritized connection – not just with the musicians comprising his orchestra – but also with today’s leading composers and Fairfax County residents. Audiences look forward to Zimmerman’s British-accented commentary at every concert he conducts, with his witty remarks providing additional knowledge about the music they’re hearing and elevating their concert experience.

“Sharing both historical context and current insights about the music and composers takes the listener deeper into the music,” he said. “It connects them more specifically to the music and to our musicians to create a unique experience beyond simply hearing the notes played.”

Via his preparation, pre-concert talks and words from the stage, said Zimmerman, “I’ve tried to bring people into the world of symphonic music – not only through passion and love for the pieces we perform – but also through curiosity and a desire to place music in a context beyond just entertainment.”

The May 31 concert will be held at 8 p.m. at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive in Fairfax. It’ll showcase Zimmerman’s winning formula for balancing tried-and-true, classical masterpieces with exciting, new works by important voices in today’s musical scene. For ticket information, go to https://www.fairfaxsymphony.org/may-31-chee-yun-kit-zimmerman-violin.

Featured works will include Edward Elgar’s “Introduction and Allegro for Strings” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10” – both works that Zimmerman conducted in his debut concert with the FSO in 2009. 

The orchestra will also debut the East Coast performance of “Concertante for Two Violins and Orchestra” by Baltimore-based composer Jonathan Leshnoff. Among the performers will be violin soloists Chee-Yun – a longtime collaborator of Zimmerman’s – and Kit Zimmerman, Maestro Zimmerman’s son and a member of the first-violin section of Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Switzerland. 

Said Chee-Yun, “From the very first time working with Chris Zimmerman a couple of decades ago, I was deeply inspired by his kind, witty and insightful leadership and musicianship.”

In his time with the FSO, Chris Zimmerman has both commissioned and debuted seven new works and conducted 22 premieres by diverse and dynamic composers. During the current concert season, he and the orchestra have presented the U.S. premiere of “Force Majeure,” a piano concerto by Elena Kats-Chernin; the regional premiere of “She Dreams of Flying” by Quinn Mason; and the Virginia premiere of Clarice Assad’s concerto for guitar and cello, “Anahata.” These pieces were performed alongside well-known, classical works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein.

“Chris Zimmerman brings such great energy and zest to his leadership of the FSO,” said the orchestra’s concertmaster, David Salness. “Not one to shy away from challenges, Maestro Zimmerman spurs the orchestra to intrepidly take on big projects – demonstrating the trust, respect and appreciation he has for the players’ collective talents and abilities.”

In March 2024, Zimmerman conducted the orchestra in the world premiere of Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali’s “Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra,” featuring soloist Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. 

In his review of that concert for The Washington Post, classical-music critic Michael Brodeur wrote, “The FSO routinely does more than most regional orchestras dare, and that counts as its own type of heroism.” The performance received a 10-minute, standing ovation from the audience at the GMU Center for the Arts. It was later broadcast nationally on American Public Media’s “Performance Today” and is now available online.

“Conductor Christopher Zimmerman exemplifies visionary leadership and artistic excellence, continually elevating orchestral performance through his passionate commitment to musical innovation,” said Jandali. “His unwavering dedication to championing living composers enriches our symphonic repertoire and inspires both audiences and performers alike.”

For Zimmerman, providing audiences with a variety of orchestral music is key to the orchestra’s success. “[The FSO has] increasingly attracted more diverse attendees, both in terms of age and ethnicity,” he said. “I think this is due to the wide palette of symphonic music that we offer, from the blockbuster music of history’s greatest composers with renowned soloists, to new music and emerging artists.”

Presenting such varied repertoire requires deep levels of trust between an orchestra’s musicians and its director, and Zimmerman has cultivated it during his tenure. “An ever-deeper knowledge of and relationship with the music is a necessary component to creating a powerful and meaningful performance,” he said. “I think the same can be said of my relationship and knowledge of the musicians I lead, as well.”

Zimmerman also credits “a wonderful blend of seasoned professional musicians,” many who’ve played with the FSO for decades, alongside newer musicians at the beginning of their careers, both serving in leadership positions.

For example, the symphony’s principal double bass player, Aaron Clay, recently retired after a prestigious career in the same position in The President’s Own Marine Band, while the principal cellist, Natalia Vilchis, recently graduated from The Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with cellist Amit Peled. 

“In rehearsal, Chris is dedicated to pushing the orchestra to new heights, helping musicians grow both technically and emotionally,” said Vilchis. “His leadership creates an atmosphere where everyone feels supported, and this is key to the FSO’s consistent excellence.”

Additionally, through its Fellowship program, the symphony hires – via competitive audition – college-level students and recent-graduate string players from backgrounds underrepresented in orchestras today.

“This program provides a unique opportunity for talented and qualified students, plus recent graduates, to perform in the Fairfax Symphony during each of our concerts in one season,” said Zimmerman. “And with the coaching and mentoring, it’s a gateway to advance their future careers.” 

Zimmerman’s favorite moments of his time with the FSO are when the connections he’s cultivated with musicians and audiences all come together. “It’s when you can tell the audience is on your wavelength from the start, and the orchestra and I have really connected, both with the listeners and each other,” he said. “Realizing, after the final note is played, that the audience loved it is deeply satisfying.”