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Tucson Symphony Orchestra Music Director George Hanson is among five finalists for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra music director post being vacated by David Itkin .

Hanson is in Little Rock this weekend leading the orchestra in its masterworks concert that includes Beethoven's Fifth. He will conduct two performances, tonight and Sunday afternoon.

Hanson's contract with the TSO extends through the 2010-11 season.

Arkansas began searching for Itkin's replacement last year. It winnowed down a pool of 175 candidates from around the world to a dozen semifinalists, then tapped five to come in and lead the orchestra in masterworks concerts throughout the 2009-10 season.

Hanson, who is in his 13th season with the TSO, came in second to Itkin the last time the Arkansas orchestra was looking for a music director, in the 1992-93 season, according to the Arkansas Gazette.

Arkansas operates on a $3 million annual budget. Tucson is bigger, with an annual budget of about $4.6 million.

TSO Executive Director Susan Franano, in a written statement, said the the orchestra was "very pleased that George Hanson is a finalist in the Arkansas Symphony's search for a music director."

"It is not unusual for music directors to hold posts with more than one orchestra and we are not surprised that George's abilities would be attractive to many other orchestras," she said.

For years after he took the Tucson job, Hanson commuted to Germany, where he was music director of the Wuppertal Symphony.