Atlanta Symphony music director Robert Spano is one of the few truly successful American conductors left in the classical music world, and throughout his career, he has seemed to disregard all the hurdles traditionally placed in the way of stick-wavers of U.S. descent. Now firmly ensconced (and quite popular) in Atlanta, he is on something of a career high, forging partnerships with some of the top living composers in the world, and preparing to stand at the helm of Seattle Opera’s Ring cycle next summer. His success has not gone unnoticed, either, among top U.S. orchestras who anticipate music director vacancies in the not-too-distant future.