CELPIP Listening Part 4 Practice Test: Assistant Steps In After Conductor's Sudden Resignation

MAN: The Hollowmere Chamber Orchestra confirmed this week that longtime music director Dominic Reyes has resigned effective immediately after fourteen years at the podium, citing family obligations he described as requiring his full attention. The announcement, which reportedly caught even senior board members off guard, comes barely five weeks before the orchestra's winter gala, a concert originally planned to mark Reyes's anniversary season. Assistant conductor Naledi Khumalo, who has held a supporting role for only three seasons, has now been elevated by the board to interim music director. Khumalo, a former cellist who trained under Reyes himself, will lead the remaining rehearsals and conduct the gala, a demanding programme that includes a symphony she had previously prepared only as a backup, never expecting to perform it herself. Board chair Yusuf Marchetti praised the decision, saying Khumalo had 'quietly influenced the orchestra's sound for years without seeking credit.' Several musicians, speaking after Wednesday's rehearsal, voiced confidence in the change, though some admitted unease about tackling such an ambitious programme with so little preparation time remaining. Reyes, for his part, issued a brief statement wishing the ensemble well but declined further comment on his departure. The orchestra has struggled financially since last year's costly hall renovation, and organizers had hoped the gala's ticket revenue would help offset the resulting shortfall. Whether Khumalo can steady the ensemble through this abrupt transition, while still satisfying audiences expecting a farewell tribute to Reyes, remains uncertain.