Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival Announces Leadership Transition

Leadership Succession at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival

The transition marks a pivotal shift for the Washington-based musical institution established in 1998. According to Friedmann, launching the festival allowed her to honor the musical legacy of her parents, violinist Martin Friedmann and oboist Laila Storch, while forging an independent path. Guiding the organization for nearly thirty years stands as one of the great joys of her life, Friedmann stated in the announcement.

Describing the change through a musical lens, Friedmann explained that a transition represents the passage linking two sections of a work—a musical bridge. She emphasized that she is not stepping away from Orcas Island or the stage, but rather entrusting the festival’s artistic vision to Gindele. Audiences on the island have known and loved Gindele since the Miró Quartet first performed there in 2008, according to festival records.

Joshua Gindele Steps Into the Artistic Director Role

Joshua Gindele steps into his new leadership duties after serving as the festival’s associate artistic director in 2026, a position to which the board previously named him. Reflecting on his appointment, Gindele noted that spending years on the festival stage surrounded by the island community and colleagues who became lifelong friends makes the change feel less like a departure and more like a deepening of roots.

Gindele praised Friedmann’s thirty years of vision, generosity, and artistry, adding that he feels honoured beyond words to serve as her steward. He expressed a desire to grow old in the service of the location and the people who love classical music there, noting he approaches the role not as someone arriving anew, but as someone who already feels entirely at home.

Friedmann’s Continuing Musical Career and Festival Ambassador Role

Though stepping down from administrative leadership after 2027, Friedmann will maintain a close connection to the organization. According to the festival, she will remain involved as an ambassador while continuing an active performing, chamber music, and recording career.

Outside of her foundational work on Orcas Island, Friedmann serves as associate concertmaster of Houston’s ROCO (formerly named the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra) and is a founding member of San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival. Additionally, she performs frequently with both the Houston and San Diego symphonies.

Frequently Asked Questions