Courtney Lewis, who joined Minnesota Orchestra as associate conductor in 2009, has been named assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic.
Lewis will depart the Minnesota Orchestra after his current contract ends this summer. He will conduct Mahler here on June 12 and will lead two Sommerfest concerts before leaving, said Gwen Pappas, orchestra spokesperson.
His New York post begins in the 2014-15 season, it was announced by the Philharmonic on Feb. 26. Lewis and associate conductor Case Scaglione will assist Alan Gilbert, music director, as well as guest conductors, and will lead educational events and Young People's Concerts.
"We discovered Courtney Lewis after an extensive audition process, and he emerged as a very promising future colleague as our next Assistant Conductor," said Gilbert in a statement.
Lewis, 29 and born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, made his subscription debut with Minnesota Orchestra with a fully staged production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel during the 2011–12 season.
He has also served as a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; he made his debut there in the fall of 2011.
Mr. Lewis is the founder and music director of Boston's Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra dedicated not only to giving concerts of contemporary and established repertoire but also to bringing live music into the least privileged parts of Boston with workshops in local schools.
