"Daniel plays an important role in the communities we serve and the SSO family is very excited about the continuation of his fine artistic leadership," said board chair Fran Nichols. "We are fortunate to have a music director of international renown who enjoys the quality of life in Central New York and, with his wife Katarina, is choosing to raise their young family here."

Nichols told the Syracuse Post-Standard that Hege's contract extension should make negotiations easier with SSO musicians, whose contract expires at the end of the 2005-06 season.