New West has a new manager

Natalia Staneva has been selected as the general manager of the New West Symphony. She succeeds Peter Somogyi, who took a position at Opera Pacific.

Staneva will be responsible for managing orchestra operations, facilities, union and vendor relationships, contracting and cashflow planning. Staneva comes from the American Youth Symphony in Santa Monica where she was associate managing director.

"Natalia brings strong orchestra management experience that will support us well as we continue to grow our programs in the three venues where the New West currently performs," said Nelson Dodge, executive director.

Staneva earned her bachelor's degree in education from Kursk State University in Russia, followed by an MBA from Cal State Long Beach. She has played piano since she was 6 years old and finished music school at age 15.

The New West Symphony is the fourth largest symphony orchestra in the Los Angeles region. The orchestra is led by music director Boris Brott.