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Comings and Goings
September 16, 2022
I’ve been back in Baton Rouge this week, and it has been an exciting one. Piano icon Emanuel Ax joined the orchestra this week as part of the BRSO’s Pennington Great Performers in Concert series. Manny brought not one, but two concertos with him—Mozart’s K. 456 and Brahms’ epic d minor.
It was interesting how the two concertos complemented each other on the program. Mozart added a nice dimension, both in the character of the work, and that it is a work not frequently played relative to some of his other 27 concertos for piano. It is also an unusual work harmonically and rhythmically in a way that almost anticipates some of the very compositional techniques that Brahms would later adopt in creating his own unique musical voice. Whether or not Brahms knew this concerto, I don’t know, but the coincidence is worth noting.
The concert was definitely one to remember as these works are squarely in Manny’s “wheelhouse” and he delivers like few others can. His style reflects a generation of musicians where less is more, and the music is freed to speak for itself. It was a great pleasure to share the stage with him and my friends of the BRSO.
Those of you who have followed my posts here may remember that my “farewell” concert with the BRSO was last May. The irony that I am back conducting a few months later is not lost on me. This program was set originally to happen in the early months of 2022, but the remodeling of the concert hall was not yet complete, so it was postponed until last night. I guess that is sometimes the nature of the business, and frankly, I was just happy to be back in BR with my good friends and colleagues of the orchestra.
Next up for me is the season opener of the Lansing Symphony in October. The concert will include a world premiere from our Composer-in-Residence, Patrick Harlin as well as Barber’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
October 7, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Ade´Williams, violin
HARLIN Bloom
BARBER Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
#emanuelax #batonrouge #batonrougesymphony
August 16, 2022
Our season at Chautauqua wrapped up with our final concert last night. Our conducting fellow Yeo-Ryeung Ahn led the orchestra in a wonderful reading of Carlos Simon’s “Tales: A Folklore Symphony”. This is a powerful and very appealing work that I have a feeling will be showing up on symphony seasons across the country regularly in coming years. I know it will be on one of mine sometime soon.
I had the immense privilege to join the orchestra in Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, a work that turned out to be probably the best possible piece for the moment. This has been a hard summer. Of concern throughout the season was keeping Covid at bay. Hearing of so many festivals cancelling performances and even sending musicians home to prevent further spread kept us on edge for the 8 weeks of our program. Miraculously, we made it through and played the final program with all but one musician.
The real challenge came last Friday however, with the unthinkable and senseless attack on Salman Rushdie on our stage. This plunged the entire institution into a dark place the likes of which I had never seen first hand. Through mutual support, openness, honesty, empathy and a belief in the power of art, we dug ourselves out of that emotional hole enough to find a way to reclaim a place marked by violence as a place for the sharing of art. As one might imagine, it was a powerful and emotional evening.
Prokofiev wrote his Fifth Symphony in 1944, during another dark time for humanity world wide. Somehow, amidst all that tragedy, he found inspiration to pen this work that is, at it’s core, one of optimism, beauty and a celebration of the human spirit…as I mentioned, a most fitting work for the occasion.
Our thoughts are with Mr. Rushdie, his colleague Ralph Henry Reese and their friends and families as they recover. We are certainly not over the shock and pain of tragedy, but we have taken significant and important steps towards the healing process. I am, and will be forever, grateful for my colleagues at the Chautauqua Institution and the members of our orchestra for the support and inspiration they showed each other and the community and as we tried to find our way forward.
That way forward for me musically will be heading back to Lansing for a free outdoor park concert with some of classical music’s greatest hits on August 26th. It will be wonderful to take the stage again with my LSO colleagues and share this exciting program.
From there I’ll head to Baton Rouge for a concert with Emanuel Ax and the BRSO. He will be playing Brahms First Piano Concerto and Mozart’s K. 456. I look forward to sharing the stage again with my colleagues there and Mr. Ax.
NEXT UP:
BATON ROUGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Emanuel Ax, piano
River Center Theater for the Performing Arts
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
September 15, 2022
MOZART The Marriage of Figaro Overture
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K 456 (Paradis)
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1
August 9, 2022
It was the summer of 2019 when my colleague Marlena Malas approached me with the idea of doing Janacek’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen for our annual Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater opera production in 2020. It was a work I knew by name, but nothing more. One listen and I was hooked. This work is unique, glorious, profound and as fresh today as it was when it premiered in the 1920’s. I was thrilled for us to take this on.
Well, we all know what happened to opera plans for 2020. When Chautauqua’s music festival reconvened in 2021, we had reduced our overall numbers of students for Covid safety reasons, so Vixen was not possible. An exciting Marriage of Figaro occupied our season that year. Vixen was shelved for a hopeful future.
That future arrived in 2022. We were back to our full forces and thrilled to have Vixen finally on our plate. Some of the cast started work last fall, as did I. The staging rehearsals were a series of discoveries for all of us, deepening our understanding of this unusual story and watching John Giampietro’s masterful staging take shape. When orchestra rehearsals commenced, one could feel the excitement among the instrumentalists as we embraced this beautiful, evocative (and wickedly difficult!) score.
We put these productions together quicky…just about 2 weeks of staging and only three orchestral rehearsals before the sitzprobe and dresses. The work is immensely challenging for each individual and for the company as a whole. The cast had worked tirelessly to learn these challenging roles and had been meticulously prepared by our coaches Martin Dube and Kanae Matsumoto. It was stressful, but rewarding as the work progressed. We could see the exciting direction in which it was headed
As we approached the performance, it was clear this would be a memorable event. All was coming together. It seemed, however, Covid was not done wreaking havoc on our Vixen plans. We had lost a few instrumentalists from the orchestra late in the week, but we were fortunate to find replacements (by “lost” I just mean they were sick and couldn’t play). But the big blow came just two days out from the performance. As I was preparing to leave the house for the sitzprobe Saturday morning, I saw that I had missed two calls from John Giampietro--not a good sign.
It turns out The Forester, the male lead in Vixen, had tested positive for Covid that morning. I was heartbroken for him and for all of us. I knew how much time he had spent learning this role, and he was fantastic. He had thoroughly digested the part, made it his own, and embodied the intelligent artistry necessary to bring it to life.
There was no understudy for him. The always resourceful Giampietro however, made a plan. It involved two singers (CHQ faculty Jonathan Beyer and student Phillip Stoddard) learning the part, and singing offstage, while John himself, walked the part on stage for the first two acts and Philip walked the third. The stage production was so creative and engaging, and the audience so caught up in it, I don’t think it hampered the effect of the work one bit.
The performance transcended expectations. It was spectacular. Kudos to our cast, orchestra and all the teachers, coaches and crew who worked behind the scenes to make it so beautiful. A special shout out to Nicole Koh (The Vixen) and Hope Nelson (The Fox) for their wonderful performances.
As we approached the final bars, I had a familiar experience to which I know my fellow musicians can relate. Vixen is a work about the cycle of life. It concludes with hope, celebration, and gratitude for life on this planet, music of indescribably beauty. Also mixed in was also some sadness…sadness that this project would soon be behind us. For me, there was another element. Vixen, while a masterpiece, is not a commonly performed work, and I knew that in my cycle of life, it’s entirely possible this may have been my only chance to conduct it. I guess I’ll find some comfort in the famous line attributed to our friend Dr. Seuss “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Our season finale is next Monday, two works on the program: Carlos Simon’s “Tales: A Folklore Symphony,” and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. As is often the case in this profession, the consolation for the conclusion of a special project lies in the excitement and anticipation of the next one in the pipeline.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra
Chautauqua Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
August 15, 2022
8:15 p.m.
CARLOS SIMON Tales: A folklore symphony
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5
#chautauquainstitution #carlossimon #johngiampietro #nicolekoh #philipstoddard #jonathonbeyer #hopenelson #janacek #cunninglittlevixen #marlenamalas #martindube #kanaematsumoto
July 12, 2022
Our second concert with Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra was last night. Our soloists were the wonderful Cuban musicians, pianist Aldo Lopez Gavilan and his brother violinist Ilmar Gavilan performing works of their own composition. To complement that, we made the whole evening a musical celebration of Latin America with music of Moncayo, Ginastera, and Ilmar and Aldo’s father Guido.
It was a hot night both meteorologically and musically. Words can’t explain what Aldo and Ilmar bring to their music making, but it is not something to be missed if given the opportunity. These works are a of a unique musical language, a mix of Latin, jazz and classical styles. The audience loved it.
It was interesting to notice the subtle stylistic differences of composers from Mexico, Argentina and Cuba. Certainly a common Latin style thread runs through each work, but at the same time, the styles were distinct. Aldo writes with a great deal of rhythmic complexity that is quite challenging for the performers, but the listener just feels it as the vibe of the music. On the printed page the complexity was a bit daunting, but to the listener it just flowed naturally.
As usual, the MSFO played with style, energy and polish…a great evening.
Next up, I go into rehearsals for Janacek’s opera “The Cunning Little Vixen.” I’m looking forward to getting started on that uniquely beautiful work.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra and Voice Conservatory
Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
August 8, 2022
8:15 p.m.
JANACEK The Cunning Little Vixen
#chautauquainstitution #janacek #aldolopezgavilan #ilmargavilan
July 6, 2022
Last night opened the season for the Chautauqua Institution’s Music School Festival Orchestra. It was a high-energy program and the orchestra delivered in a big way.
Things kicked off with rock-star composer Zhou Tian’s celebration in music called “Gift.” Among Zhou’s many gifts as a composer is his ability to grab the audience from “hello” and then deliver a high-impact, breath-taking experience. He also just knows how to make an orchestra sound amazing, so take an amazing orchestra and music of Zhou, and you have quite a curtain raiser. This was a total thrill ride.
Pianist Chengcheng Yao, winner of CHQ’s 2019 SAI Concerto Competition, joined the orchestra in Bartok’s Second Piano Concerto. This work is unlike any other concerto in the repertoire, and the demands on all involved are huge, expressively and technically. Chengcheng has a great feel for this work and total command of the part. She took us on a exciting and moving journey. Especially powerful was the second movement, a classic example of Bartok’s “night music” style…full of atmosphere, striking effects and mystery.
Chautauqua’s relatively new Director of Sacred Music and virtuoso organist, Joshua Stafford joined the MSFO for Saint-Saen’s Symphony No. 3 to close the program. The Massey Organ is a perfect fit for this work with its broad range of color and depth, and Joshua is fully at home with the instrument and this music. It was a powerful finish to the program.
The players of the MSFO outdid themselves last night. This was an especially demanding program and they rose to the occasion in an impressive fashion. It was a thrill to be a part of it.
The concert was dedicated to the memory of Joshua’s predecessor, and my good friend and colleague Jarod Jacobsen. Jared was loved by the CHQ community. We lost him in 2019 and he is deeply missed. We felt you there with us last night my friend.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra
Chautauqua Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
8:15 p.m.
Aldo-Lopez Gavilan, piano, Ilmar Gavilan, violin
MONCAYO Huapango
GINASTERA Dances from the ballet “Estancia”
GUIDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Guanguanco´
ALDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Viernes de Ciudad
ALDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Emporium
#chautauquainstitution #chengchengyao #zhoutian #aldolopezgavilan #ilmargavilan
May 22, 2022
We have a certain way of doing things in Louisiana that’s, well, often different than what one might find elsewhere. Friday night was my “farewell” concert as Music Director of the Baton Rouge Symphony, a position I held for 21 years. It was a program that was to have been done in the spring of 2020. After a two-year Covid postponement, we finally took to the stage for Beethoven’s epic and iconic Symphony No. 9. There are many great symphonies out there, and many that would qualify as “epic”, but there is nothing that compares to this work. It stands alone in the symphonic repertoire.
So, with what does one follow Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9? Well, in South Louisiana, for a special celebration such as this, the Ninth Symphony is followed by a brass band, decked out in their black and whites, filling the concert hall with the sounds and spirit only such a group can create. It is actually not the non sequitur it might seem at first. Beethoven’s work is a celebration of joy and brotherhood, and those two concepts are also at the root of the Louisiana brass band tradition.
Here’s how it went down: We finished the symphony, and I came off stage after the bows. The band was collected back stage and they started in with “The Second Line” (aka Joe Avery’s Blues) from the wings. I was handed the obligatory umbrella and instructed to lead the band from backstage, down into the seating area, forming a parade that went into the lobby then out the doors onto the plaza,…a classic “Second Line”.
Now, mind you, one does not normally get a brass band of their own except at their funeral, so I made the most of it. Living in south Louisiana as long as I did, I learned a few things. For a guy born in Connecticut, leading a Second Line came surprisingly naturally to me if I do say so myself. It was outrageously fun, and the best part was seeing so many old friends as the parade moved through the concert hall. Once on the plaza, another band, a fabulous dance band, kicked off an outdoor dance party that went on into the night. What a way to go out!
I am grateful for so much from my 20+ years with the BRSO. I am grateful for the wonderful musicians with whom I had the privilege of sharing the stage so many times. I am grateful for the close friendships developed over the years. I am grateful for the opportunity to, along with my colleagues, bring great music to a wonderful city. I am grateful to all of those who supported our efforts. I am also grateful for all the kind and generous words shared with me in public and private this week. They mean more to me than I can express.
It was a very moving evening for me, and kudos to the musicians of the BRSO, the chorus and our soloists for a compelling performance of Beethoven’s masterpiece. I will cherish the memories and friendships I have made over the years and look forward to creating more. It’s not the last time I will be in BR, but I will miss being there more. I love Louisiana. I love the people, the culture and the breathtaking natural beauty of this place. I am so fortunate that my life’s path intersected with this magical, mysterious, joyous and soulful place we call Louisiana.
#batonrougesymphony #brso
May 16, 2022
It was a great pleasure, as always, to share the stage with my colleagues of the Lansing Symphony last Friday. Season closer concerts are always bittersweet. I am sorry to see the season end but very much looking forward to what next season has in store for us.
It was a great pleasure getting to know pianist Clayton Stephenson who played the Florence Price Concerto with us Friday night. He was scheduled to play the Beethoven First Concerto, but upon recently learning of his advancement to the finals of the Van Cliburn competition, he asked for a change in repertoire, and the Price fit the bill perfectly. He really drew us all into the work, especially the beautiful and soulful second movement and the audience was generously exuberant in their response.. His two encores brought down the house again and again.
The world premiere of LSO Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin’s “Earthrise” also garnered a powerful response of approval from our audience. I heard from many in the orchestra that they loved it too. I think this work will have a wonderful life in the orchestral repertoire.
I’m in Baton Rouge as I write this with the BRSO for a Beethoven Symphony No. 9 on Friday. It is always a very special experience to prepare and perform this iconic work, especially so with my long-time friends and colleagues of Baton Rouge Symphony and Chorus. We had two terrific rehearsals yesterday, and I look forward to the remainder of the work this week.
NEXT UP:
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Rebekah Howell, Soprano
Marquita Raley-Cooper, Mezzo-soprano
Dominic Armstrong, Tenor
Timothy Jones , Bass-Baritone
River Center Theater
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7:30 p.m
#batonrougesymphony #batonrouge
May 10, 2022
It’s a big week for us in Lansing. This Friday will be our final Masterworks concert of the season, and it is an exciting one. We will begin with a world premiere of LSO’s Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin. Patrick’s piece is called “EARTHRISE” and takes its inspiration from the iconic photograph of the same name taken from Apollo 8 in 1968. We have our first rehearsal tonight, and I can’t wait to hear it outside of my head. The work strikes me as a celebration of the grandeur and beauty of our planet and the mystery and vastness of the universe in which it hangs….all a reminder of how we must care for our home such that it can continue to support the life it has miraculously offered us.
Another very special and important work will follow, Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement. Our soloist is Clayton Stephenson, a Gilmore Young Artist and just recently announced finalist for Cliburn. I’m looking forward to sharing the Price with our audience as they will love the late-romantic style infused with flavors from Ms. Price’s African-American heritage. It is a beautiful and engaging work.
We finish the concert and the season with Brahms' Symphony No. 2. What can be said about this sublime work that hasn’t been already?
It’s a quick turnaround for me. This concert is Friday, and Sunday I am off to Baton Rouge to start rehearsals for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with my friends and colleagues of the BRSO…an exciting two weeks!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
May 13, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Clayton Stephenson, piano
HARLIN EARTHRISE
PRICE Piano Concerto in One Movement
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
#patrickharlin #florenceprice #claytonstephenson #lansingsymphony #batonrougesymphony #lansing
April 8, 2022
Last night was another exciting night for the Lansing Symphony. It was our second installment of “LSO at the Robin,” our series of concerts at Lansing’s Robin Theater in REO Town. Again, the place was sold out, and again the audience was hanging on every note. Since it was chamber music, I could sit back and enjoy, and part of the enjoyment was observing the audience response.
The program consisted entirely of works from living Michigan composers, and one can see what a font of musical creativity this state really is. Three were on hand and offered remarks on their works. LSO Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin opened the program with his “Molasses” a look at how a musical idea might respond to different densities of resistance. Alexis Bacon, a member of Michigan State’s faculty, joined us for a vibrant performance of her “Capriccio,” and Michael Daugherty came over from Ann Arbor for two of his works, “Six Riffs after Ovid” (kudos to oboist Stephanie Shapiro for her very engaging performance of this work), and “Walk the Walk.”
Also on the program, we heard Carlos Simon’s moving “Catch on Fire,” and Eve Beglarian’s “I will not be sad in this world” (kudos here to Bryan Guarnuccio for his mesmerizing performance). The concert closed with David Beidenbender’s mashup of funk, Motown, dub-step, music of the French Renaissance, folk, death metal and pointillistic music (not even kidding about that) called “Refractions”. The movement titles say a lot about that work 1)Death Metal Chicken 2) Kyrie 3) Goat Rodeo. It was a blast to say the least.
Many thanks to our fantastic musicians for their outstanding performance last night. I would gladly listen to the whole thing again.
#michaeldaugherty #alexisbacon #carlossimon #lansingsymphony #robintheater #lansingmichigan #evebeglarian #davidbiedenbender #bryanguarnuccio #stephanieshapiro
March 20, 2022
I’m sure the word “phenomenal” has been attached to pianist Conrad Tao many times in his career. Beyond his artistry at the keyboard, he has also garnered significant attention as a composer and an advocate for music. But his performance of Mozart’s profound, yet mercurial, K. 491 with the Lansing Symphony last night brought a slightly different meaning of the word than its customary generic application in music.
The phenomenon came from his approach to this work that I can only describe as “spontaneous.” It felt as if he was composing the work as he played it and, by some magical connection, the orchestra knew what notes to play and when. This had to do with things like, how he tossed off ornamentation, not in some labored, affectual way, but it a totally natural, effortless way. It was from his pacing of the flow of the energy of the work, his use of tempo and atmosphere.
The irony, of course, is that to create the effect of spontaneity, we as artists usually have to work a piece within an inch of its life such that our understanding, technical tools and concept are so clearly formed that we can make it sound as if we are making it up. I didn’t get to ask Conrad about his preparation process, but it’s a conversation I would love to have with him some time.
The other two works on the program also had their own kind of spontaneity. We opened with Poulenc’s Suite Francaise, a Renaissance-inspired work for winds, percussion and harpsichord. I sat this one out as it seemed that a true chamber music approach (without conductor) would best allow the piece to blossom. I also think it’s good for our players to connect with each other in the way that chamber music requires. It was a beautiful performance. I could have listened to it again as soon as they finished.
The one work I actually conducted on the evening (Conrad conducted Mozart from the keyboard), was Haydn’s gem, the Symphony No. 90. Kudos to the players who brought such great energy and joy to this work, and kudos to the audience who didn’t fall for Haydn’s devious, but well-intentioned, applause traps that are but one part of this work's wit and charm.
Up next for us is the second installment of our prototype of what we hope will become a concert series next season, LSO at the Robin. These are programs of music of our time in a cozy used book store/concert venue in Lansing’s Reo Town. The bar next door, from which you can bring refreshments into the concert, does provide even more appeal to the concert. Our March installment was a huge success and sold out, so if you are interested in coming, you should get your tickets now. All of these composers have a Michigan connection, and some will be at the concert. I hope you will be there too!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Chamber Players
Robin Theater, Lansing, Michigan
April 7, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Patrick Harlin Molasses
Alexis Bacon Capriccio
Michael Daugherty Six Riffs after Ovid
Carlos Simon Catch on fire
Eve Beglarian I will not be sad in this world
Michael Daugherty Walk the Walk
David Biedenbender Refraction
#conradtao #lansingsymphony #alexisbacon #michaeldaugherty #carlossimon #evebeglarian #davidbiedenbender #patrickharlin
March 4, 2022
I’m still riding high from last night’s fabulous concert of the Lansing Symphony's Chamber Players at the Robin Theater in Lansing’s REO town. I didn’t conduct this one, just got to sit back and enjoy the evening.
It was all music of today…the oldest composer was Bartok, otherwise they were all living and breathing. Two of the composers were actually living and breathing at the concert, David Biedenbender and Zhou Tian. LSO’s Composer in Residence Patrick Harlin was living and breathing at the concert too. We closed the program with an arrangement of his.
Along with Bartok, we did Zhou’s fabulous “Viaje” for piano, flute and cello. Zhou shared a beautiful introduction that brought us right into the world of his piece. The players brought it to life with all its brilliance, passion and energy…fabulous music, fabulously played.
Dave then told us a bit about his work “Spending the Night,”a duet for flute and clarinet, and then introduced Robert Fanning, who’s poem inspired the music. After Robert’s powerful reading of his poem, a heart-wrenching memory of the passing of his sister, the audience was primed emotionally for Dave’s musical reflection. The combination of the two works was profoundly moving…not a dry eye in the house.
Music of Jesse Jones, Adolphus Hailstork and Piazzolla followed and the sold-out house ate it all up. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to this concert of contemporary music, and I can’t wait until the next one…April 7th if you are going to be around.
The Robin Theater is a perfect venue for this kind of concert. There is a bar right next door, so patrons can grab a beverage and bring it in. The hall is intimate, with beautiful acoustics, so the performance has the kind of immediacy that makes live music “live.”
Congratulations to all involved!!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Conrad Tao, piano
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
March 19, 2022
7:30 p.m.
POULENC Suite Francaise
HAYDN Symphony No. 90
MOZART Piano Concerto in C minor, K. 491
#lansingsymphony #davidbiedenbender #zhoutian #robintheater #robertfanning
February 1, 2022
Well, this is disappointing. As I mentioned in my previous post, my next engagement was to be with the incomparable Emanuel Ax as part of the Pennington Great Performers in Concert Series with the Baton Rouge Symphony. We were scheduled to be the “Grand Re-Opening” of Baton Rouge’s River Center Theater after it has been closed for renovation.
News flash: it’s not done yet. The contractor's blame supply chain issues. Just for the record, the BRSO and everyone else who used the facility vacated the place nearly four years ago in the spring of 2018, a full year and a half before Covid became an issue, so I think there may be factors other than Covid and supply chain that are weighing on this. Honestly, for reasons I won’t go into here, I can’t say I’m surprised.
The concert has been postponed until September. Maybe the hall will be finished by then, or not.
On a positive note, I am very much looking forward to the next Lansing Symphony concert with another great pianist, Conrad Tao. Conrad is playing Mozart K. 491 (c minor) with us. This one is a bit off the beaten Mozart Concerto path (he did write 27 of them), but wow, is it special. It is unique among the Mozart concertos for its harmonic richness, intricate orchestral writing, and overall expressive depth. It is a joy to study, as I feel like I am really exploring new territory and discovering new facets of Mozart. I have not conducted it before, and I actually won’t conduct it at the concert either! Conrad will conduct from the keyboard, but since I will prepare the orchestra prior to his arrival, I am deep in study.
Also on the program is Haydn’s brilliant Symphony 90 (I could spend every day with Haydn and not tire of it), and Poulenc’s Suite Francaise featuring the fabulous and virtuoso winds and keyboardist of the LSO. It will be a wonderful evening of classical and neo-classical wit, elegance, grace and a bit of drama mixed in for good measure.
In the meantime, I am working on programming two chamber music concerts for the LSO made up of music of our time. The works are primarily from composers with a Michigan connection. These programs will be performed in a very “alternative” and super-cool venue in a part of Lansing called REO Town. The concerts will be early March and early April….more to come on that. It’s going to be very exciting!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Conrad Tao, piano
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
March 19, 2022
7:30 p.m.
POULENC Suite Francaise
HAYDN Symphony No. 90
MOZART Piano Concerto in C minor, K. 491
#lansingsymphony #conradtao #robintheater
January 15, 2022
I knew Suren would be great, especially in Shostakovich, but what he unleashed from his instrument in last night’s concert with the Lansing Symphony left all of us a bit breathless. Suren Bagratuni’s ability to create a white-hot intensity in his sound made me think the instrument would spontaneously combust at any moment. It is rare to hear this kind of playing, playing that is not afraid to push the instrument to it’s limits. This is not to say he doesn’t also find the rich, warm and tender sides when needed, or the hollow, cold, and desolate character called for at the end of the slow movement of this masterpiece, the Concerto No. 1. It was a spectacular reading of this work from beginning to end. I just wish we could do it again.
We opened the program with a very evocative work of LSO’s Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin. The work is called “River of Doubt” and was inspired by Teddy Roosevelt’s ill-fated trek down the Amazon after losing a presidential re-election bid. The work incorporates soundscapes that Patrick himself recorded on his own trip down the Amazon, this one not ill-fated fortunately, but one full of wonderful stories and resulted in a very engaging piece of music. The audience loved it.
Speaking of the audience, thanks to those of you who braved a very chilly night and Omicron fears to share in this night of music making with us. We appreciated your enthusiastic support!
The concert closed with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 6. It was a welcome immersion in pure beauty and joy after what was a very intense 1st half. It felt like the works balanced each other nicely that way. More often than not, Dvorak’s music is deceptively challenging, sometimes not even deceptively so, just plain challenging. Kudos to the LSO players for bringing this difficult work to life with such grace and style.
Next for me is a trip back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although I left my position as Music Director there a few years ago, they keep asking me back and I am very grateful for that! It is always a pleasure to see my friends and colleagues and visit a city and state that I love. We have Emanuel Ax on the program, the Pennington Great Performers in Concert Gala, so that will be a wonderful experience for sure. Rumor has it, the concert will be in the newly-renovated concert hall. Time will tell on that one.
NEXT UP
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
Emanuel Ax, piano
River Center Theater for the Performing Arts?
February 12, 2022
8:00 p.m.
TORKE Javelin
BERNSTEIN On the Town: Three Dance Episodes
GERSHWIN An American In Paris
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2
#lansingsymphony #surenbagratuni #patrickharlin #teddyroosevelt #emanuelax
December 20, 2021
Yesterday’s Holiday Pops with the Lansing Symphony was a wonderful time. Lansing’s own Travis Leon shared his fabulous vocal talents with us ranging from Handel’s “Comfort Ye” to “White Christmas” and he delivered! The audience loved him. It is always exciting to feature our local talent.
For me an “un-sung” star of the show was an arranger named Jim Stephenson. We did several works from his catalog, and they are some of the freshest and most engaging holiday arrangements I have encountered. I heard many comments from the orchestra players themselves about how great the arrangements sounded and how much they enjoyed playing them. It was obvious the audience enjoyed them too.
I am very excited about what’s next on my calendar, and that is the Lansing Symphony’s January Masterworks. Cellist Suren Bagratuni will join us in Shostakovich’s First Concerto, and I can’t wait. Suren is a truly wonderful musician with whom I have been looking forward to working for some time now, and I have a feeling Shostakovich is right in his “wheelhouse” as they say.
That program will open with a work by our Composer-in Residence, Patrick Harlin, called River of Doubt, a highly evocative work inspired by Teddy Roosevelt’s treacherous excursion down the Amazon. The work features soundscapes collected by Patrick’s on his own trip down that storied river (accompanied by his wife, and fellow composer, Audrey). It is a work unlike any other, and one that I know will engage the audience in a powerful way.
NEXT UP
LANSING SYMPHOHY ORCHESTRA
Suren Bagratuni, cello
January 14, 2022
Wharton Center
HARLIN River of Doubt
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1
DVORAK Symphony No. 6
#SurenBagratuni #Patrickharlin #TeddyRoosevelt #TravisLeon #LansingSymphony #JamesStephenson
December 10, 2021
Holiday Pops is coming up soon for the Lansing Symphony. I always look forward to our holiday programs because we tend to see new audience members for these concerts, and it is a nice opportunity to get acquainted. These concerts are quite "interactive."..I tell some bad jokes and people politely laugh. I especially appreciate the laughs that follow the jokes I have used every year for the last 15 years...those are nice, generous people out there.
We mix the program up with a lot of variety from classical to popular. This year we are featuring tenor Travis Leon, a Lansing native who is now out making a name for himself in the world. It will be Mr. Leon's first time with the orchestra, and we are looking forward to it. He will present a nice range of styles ranging from some music from Handel's Messiah to Winter Wonderland and others.
This concert is always a wonderful community event and leaves everyone's spirits uplifted. Tickets are going quickly, so if you want to come you should call soon. Also, be sure to check out the Covid protocols. We are working hard to keep everyone safe.
NEXT UP:
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Travis Leon, tenor
December 19, 2021 3:00 p.m.
Wharton Center
HOLIDAY POPS!!
#lansingsymphony #holidaypops #travisleontenor
November 13, 2021
No one plays like Lucia. Of course, there are many great violinists who provide spectacular renderings of the repertoire, but there is something fresh, unique and deeply personal in what Lucia Micarelli brought to Sibelius last night in our concert with the Lansing Symphony. She is a musician who works in a broad range of styles, and I think that experience informs her approach to the masterworks. Aside from her ability to dispatch this monster of a work with flawless execution, among her other many wonderful attributes in a remarkable ability to connect with the audience, to draw them in to her world, and that is exactly what she did last night. I have had the pleasure of conducting the Sibelius concerto many times, all wonderful, but none like this one.
We opened the program with one of the “Top 40” in classical music right now, Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum.” This work is enjoying huge success in the US right now and for good reason. The players love it, the audience loves it. It is wonderful American music of today.
Schumann Symphony 4 brought the concert to a close. Schumann’s orchestral music is among the most difficult because of the degree of nuance needed to make the music come alive. I was so impressed with the way the LSO players found the spirit and style of this work and delivered a performance full of life, grace, drama and joy. What a pleasure it was to share the stage with them. Bravo!
November 7, 2021
What a thrill it was to once again share the stage with my long-time friends and colleagues of the Baton Rouge Symphony, joined by the brilliant pianist Jon Nakamatsu and a cameo appearance from the Louisiana Youth Orchestra!
The occasion was a sold-out concert celebration the BRSO’s 75th anniversary. We chose a program that highlighted some of the musical legacy of the orchestra including the work they played to open their Carnegie Hall concert in the 1980’s (Chadwick’s Jubilee), two works the orchestra had commissioned for their 40th and 50th anniversaries by Kenton Coe and Stephen Paulus, and a work from the orchestra’s first concert in 1947 (Borodin, Polovtsian Dances). Members of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra joined us for some music from Carmen to celebrate the wonderful contributions of that very successful program. Mr. Nakamatsu, a frequent guest of the orchestra over the years, joined us in Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto to bring the concert to a close (although he did add a very poetic Chopin encore to round out the evening).
BRSO also announced the much-anticipated Pennington Great Performer for 2022. Emanuel Ax will be joining the orchestra for Chopin’s Second Concerto…very exciting!
The concert was originally scheduled to be held in Baton Rouge’s newly remodeled River Center Theater. The work has not been completed though (imagine that…a construction project that’s behind schedule, who knew??). Instead, we held the program in a ballroom of the River Center, and it worked surprisingly well, even acoustically. Kudos to the River Center crew who made all that happen and exceeded expectations.
This week is an exciting one for me as well back in Lansing. The Lansing Symphony presents our second masterworks program of the season, joined by the fabulous violinist Lucia Micarelli. Lucia will be playing Sibelius with us (the whole thing…not morphing into Kashmir this time, although I must say I’m a big fan of that version too!! If you don’t know of what I speak, it’s on YouTube. Check it out). I have been trying to get Lucia in the concerto slot for years. We had her on board for 2019-20, and well we all know how that turned out. So we are thrilled to have her this season as we return to live music. Also on the program, “Strum” of America’s new classical rock-star composer Jessie Montgomery and Schumann’s wonderful Fourth Symphony. It’s going to be a great week.
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
November 12, 2021
Lucia Micarelli, violin
MONTGOMERY. Strum
SIBELIUS. Violin Concerto
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
#jonnakmatsu #batonrouge #batonrougesymphony #stephenpaulus #kentoncoe #emanuelax #luciamicarelli #jessiemontgomery
October 27, 2021
I just came off two exciting concert weeks. For starters, the Lansing Symphony opened its season this month with our first indoor performance since things shut down. It was beyond beautiful to share the stage with my fabulous colleagues and share music with our wonderful audience.
Pianist Michael Brown brought elegance, grace, (and power when needed) to Tchaikovsky’s 1st Concerto. Is was a great pleasure to have him with us. The other highlight of the program was Roger Brigg’s work “Gathering Together.” It was written in 1996, but perfect in every way for the occasion of our first gathering since early 2020.
From there I was off to Baton Rouge for the fifth annual installment of “Bachtoberfest.” The name says it all, beer, brats, and Bach (with a few friends added for good measure). It is exciting to see this new series be so successful, selling beyond capacity, and it was great to make music again with my long-time friends in the orchestra.
I head back to BR next week for a concert celebrating the orchestra’s 75th anniversary. We have a great program exploring some of the ensemble’s musical legacy including a work from it’s very first program in 1947 (Polovstian Dances), the work with which they opened their concert in Carnegie Hall (Chadwick Jubilee), and two works the orchestra had commissioned from composers Kenton Coe and Stephen Paulus. Also joining the program will be members of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra for a side-by-side performance of some music from Carmen, and the great Jon Nakamatsu closes the program with Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto. It promises to be a wonderful night!
I’ve been back in Baton Rouge this week, and it has been an exciting one. Piano icon Emanuel Ax joined the orchestra this week as part of the BRSO’s Pennington Great Performers in Concert series. Manny brought not one, but two concertos with him—Mozart’s K. 456 and Brahms’ epic d minor.
It was interesting how the two concertos complemented each other on the program. Mozart added a nice dimension, both in the character of the work, and that it is a work not frequently played relative to some of his other 27 concertos for piano. It is also an unusual work harmonically and rhythmically in a way that almost anticipates some of the very compositional techniques that Brahms would later adopt in creating his own unique musical voice. Whether or not Brahms knew this concerto, I don’t know, but the coincidence is worth noting.
The concert was definitely one to remember as these works are squarely in Manny’s “wheelhouse” and he delivers like few others can. His style reflects a generation of musicians where less is more, and the music is freed to speak for itself. It was a great pleasure to share the stage with him and my friends of the BRSO.
Those of you who have followed my posts here may remember that my “farewell” concert with the BRSO was last May. The irony that I am back conducting a few months later is not lost on me. This program was set originally to happen in the early months of 2022, but the remodeling of the concert hall was not yet complete, so it was postponed until last night. I guess that is sometimes the nature of the business, and frankly, I was just happy to be back in BR with my good friends and colleagues of the orchestra.
Next up for me is the season opener of the Lansing Symphony in October. The concert will include a world premiere from our Composer-in-Residence, Patrick Harlin as well as Barber’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
October 7, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Ade´Williams, violin
HARLIN Bloom
BARBER Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
#emanuelax #batonrouge #batonrougesymphony
August 16, 2022
Our season at Chautauqua wrapped up with our final concert last night. Our conducting fellow Yeo-Ryeung Ahn led the orchestra in a wonderful reading of Carlos Simon’s “Tales: A Folklore Symphony”. This is a powerful and very appealing work that I have a feeling will be showing up on symphony seasons across the country regularly in coming years. I know it will be on one of mine sometime soon.
I had the immense privilege to join the orchestra in Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, a work that turned out to be probably the best possible piece for the moment. This has been a hard summer. Of concern throughout the season was keeping Covid at bay. Hearing of so many festivals cancelling performances and even sending musicians home to prevent further spread kept us on edge for the 8 weeks of our program. Miraculously, we made it through and played the final program with all but one musician.
The real challenge came last Friday however, with the unthinkable and senseless attack on Salman Rushdie on our stage. This plunged the entire institution into a dark place the likes of which I had never seen first hand. Through mutual support, openness, honesty, empathy and a belief in the power of art, we dug ourselves out of that emotional hole enough to find a way to reclaim a place marked by violence as a place for the sharing of art. As one might imagine, it was a powerful and emotional evening.
Prokofiev wrote his Fifth Symphony in 1944, during another dark time for humanity world wide. Somehow, amidst all that tragedy, he found inspiration to pen this work that is, at it’s core, one of optimism, beauty and a celebration of the human spirit…as I mentioned, a most fitting work for the occasion.
Our thoughts are with Mr. Rushdie, his colleague Ralph Henry Reese and their friends and families as they recover. We are certainly not over the shock and pain of tragedy, but we have taken significant and important steps towards the healing process. I am, and will be forever, grateful for my colleagues at the Chautauqua Institution and the members of our orchestra for the support and inspiration they showed each other and the community and as we tried to find our way forward.
That way forward for me musically will be heading back to Lansing for a free outdoor park concert with some of classical music’s greatest hits on August 26th. It will be wonderful to take the stage again with my LSO colleagues and share this exciting program.
From there I’ll head to Baton Rouge for a concert with Emanuel Ax and the BRSO. He will be playing Brahms First Piano Concerto and Mozart’s K. 456. I look forward to sharing the stage again with my colleagues there and Mr. Ax.
NEXT UP:
BATON ROUGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Emanuel Ax, piano
River Center Theater for the Performing Arts
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
September 15, 2022
MOZART The Marriage of Figaro Overture
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K 456 (Paradis)
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1
August 9, 2022
It was the summer of 2019 when my colleague Marlena Malas approached me with the idea of doing Janacek’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen for our annual Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater opera production in 2020. It was a work I knew by name, but nothing more. One listen and I was hooked. This work is unique, glorious, profound and as fresh today as it was when it premiered in the 1920’s. I was thrilled for us to take this on.
Well, we all know what happened to opera plans for 2020. When Chautauqua’s music festival reconvened in 2021, we had reduced our overall numbers of students for Covid safety reasons, so Vixen was not possible. An exciting Marriage of Figaro occupied our season that year. Vixen was shelved for a hopeful future.
That future arrived in 2022. We were back to our full forces and thrilled to have Vixen finally on our plate. Some of the cast started work last fall, as did I. The staging rehearsals were a series of discoveries for all of us, deepening our understanding of this unusual story and watching John Giampietro’s masterful staging take shape. When orchestra rehearsals commenced, one could feel the excitement among the instrumentalists as we embraced this beautiful, evocative (and wickedly difficult!) score.
We put these productions together quicky…just about 2 weeks of staging and only three orchestral rehearsals before the sitzprobe and dresses. The work is immensely challenging for each individual and for the company as a whole. The cast had worked tirelessly to learn these challenging roles and had been meticulously prepared by our coaches Martin Dube and Kanae Matsumoto. It was stressful, but rewarding as the work progressed. We could see the exciting direction in which it was headed
As we approached the performance, it was clear this would be a memorable event. All was coming together. It seemed, however, Covid was not done wreaking havoc on our Vixen plans. We had lost a few instrumentalists from the orchestra late in the week, but we were fortunate to find replacements (by “lost” I just mean they were sick and couldn’t play). But the big blow came just two days out from the performance. As I was preparing to leave the house for the sitzprobe Saturday morning, I saw that I had missed two calls from John Giampietro--not a good sign.
It turns out The Forester, the male lead in Vixen, had tested positive for Covid that morning. I was heartbroken for him and for all of us. I knew how much time he had spent learning this role, and he was fantastic. He had thoroughly digested the part, made it his own, and embodied the intelligent artistry necessary to bring it to life.
There was no understudy for him. The always resourceful Giampietro however, made a plan. It involved two singers (CHQ faculty Jonathan Beyer and student Phillip Stoddard) learning the part, and singing offstage, while John himself, walked the part on stage for the first two acts and Philip walked the third. The stage production was so creative and engaging, and the audience so caught up in it, I don’t think it hampered the effect of the work one bit.
The performance transcended expectations. It was spectacular. Kudos to our cast, orchestra and all the teachers, coaches and crew who worked behind the scenes to make it so beautiful. A special shout out to Nicole Koh (The Vixen) and Hope Nelson (The Fox) for their wonderful performances.
As we approached the final bars, I had a familiar experience to which I know my fellow musicians can relate. Vixen is a work about the cycle of life. It concludes with hope, celebration, and gratitude for life on this planet, music of indescribably beauty. Also mixed in was also some sadness…sadness that this project would soon be behind us. For me, there was another element. Vixen, while a masterpiece, is not a commonly performed work, and I knew that in my cycle of life, it’s entirely possible this may have been my only chance to conduct it. I guess I’ll find some comfort in the famous line attributed to our friend Dr. Seuss “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Our season finale is next Monday, two works on the program: Carlos Simon’s “Tales: A Folklore Symphony,” and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. As is often the case in this profession, the consolation for the conclusion of a special project lies in the excitement and anticipation of the next one in the pipeline.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra
Chautauqua Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
August 15, 2022
8:15 p.m.
CARLOS SIMON Tales: A folklore symphony
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5
#chautauquainstitution #carlossimon #johngiampietro #nicolekoh #philipstoddard #jonathonbeyer #hopenelson #janacek #cunninglittlevixen #marlenamalas #martindube #kanaematsumoto
July 12, 2022
Our second concert with Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra was last night. Our soloists were the wonderful Cuban musicians, pianist Aldo Lopez Gavilan and his brother violinist Ilmar Gavilan performing works of their own composition. To complement that, we made the whole evening a musical celebration of Latin America with music of Moncayo, Ginastera, and Ilmar and Aldo’s father Guido.
It was a hot night both meteorologically and musically. Words can’t explain what Aldo and Ilmar bring to their music making, but it is not something to be missed if given the opportunity. These works are a of a unique musical language, a mix of Latin, jazz and classical styles. The audience loved it.
It was interesting to notice the subtle stylistic differences of composers from Mexico, Argentina and Cuba. Certainly a common Latin style thread runs through each work, but at the same time, the styles were distinct. Aldo writes with a great deal of rhythmic complexity that is quite challenging for the performers, but the listener just feels it as the vibe of the music. On the printed page the complexity was a bit daunting, but to the listener it just flowed naturally.
As usual, the MSFO played with style, energy and polish…a great evening.
Next up, I go into rehearsals for Janacek’s opera “The Cunning Little Vixen.” I’m looking forward to getting started on that uniquely beautiful work.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra and Voice Conservatory
Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
August 8, 2022
8:15 p.m.
JANACEK The Cunning Little Vixen
#chautauquainstitution #janacek #aldolopezgavilan #ilmargavilan
July 6, 2022
Last night opened the season for the Chautauqua Institution’s Music School Festival Orchestra. It was a high-energy program and the orchestra delivered in a big way.
Things kicked off with rock-star composer Zhou Tian’s celebration in music called “Gift.” Among Zhou’s many gifts as a composer is his ability to grab the audience from “hello” and then deliver a high-impact, breath-taking experience. He also just knows how to make an orchestra sound amazing, so take an amazing orchestra and music of Zhou, and you have quite a curtain raiser. This was a total thrill ride.
Pianist Chengcheng Yao, winner of CHQ’s 2019 SAI Concerto Competition, joined the orchestra in Bartok’s Second Piano Concerto. This work is unlike any other concerto in the repertoire, and the demands on all involved are huge, expressively and technically. Chengcheng has a great feel for this work and total command of the part. She took us on a exciting and moving journey. Especially powerful was the second movement, a classic example of Bartok’s “night music” style…full of atmosphere, striking effects and mystery.
Chautauqua’s relatively new Director of Sacred Music and virtuoso organist, Joshua Stafford joined the MSFO for Saint-Saen’s Symphony No. 3 to close the program. The Massey Organ is a perfect fit for this work with its broad range of color and depth, and Joshua is fully at home with the instrument and this music. It was a powerful finish to the program.
The players of the MSFO outdid themselves last night. This was an especially demanding program and they rose to the occasion in an impressive fashion. It was a thrill to be a part of it.
The concert was dedicated to the memory of Joshua’s predecessor, and my good friend and colleague Jarod Jacobsen. Jared was loved by the CHQ community. We lost him in 2019 and he is deeply missed. We felt you there with us last night my friend.
NEXT UP:
Chautauqua Institution Music School Festival Orchestra
Chautauqua Amphitheater
Chautauqua, New York
8:15 p.m.
Aldo-Lopez Gavilan, piano, Ilmar Gavilan, violin
MONCAYO Huapango
GINASTERA Dances from the ballet “Estancia”
GUIDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Guanguanco´
ALDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Viernes de Ciudad
ALDO LOPEZ GAVILAN Emporium
#chautauquainstitution #chengchengyao #zhoutian #aldolopezgavilan #ilmargavilan
May 22, 2022
We have a certain way of doing things in Louisiana that’s, well, often different than what one might find elsewhere. Friday night was my “farewell” concert as Music Director of the Baton Rouge Symphony, a position I held for 21 years. It was a program that was to have been done in the spring of 2020. After a two-year Covid postponement, we finally took to the stage for Beethoven’s epic and iconic Symphony No. 9. There are many great symphonies out there, and many that would qualify as “epic”, but there is nothing that compares to this work. It stands alone in the symphonic repertoire.
So, with what does one follow Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9? Well, in South Louisiana, for a special celebration such as this, the Ninth Symphony is followed by a brass band, decked out in their black and whites, filling the concert hall with the sounds and spirit only such a group can create. It is actually not the non sequitur it might seem at first. Beethoven’s work is a celebration of joy and brotherhood, and those two concepts are also at the root of the Louisiana brass band tradition.
Here’s how it went down: We finished the symphony, and I came off stage after the bows. The band was collected back stage and they started in with “The Second Line” (aka Joe Avery’s Blues) from the wings. I was handed the obligatory umbrella and instructed to lead the band from backstage, down into the seating area, forming a parade that went into the lobby then out the doors onto the plaza,…a classic “Second Line”.
Now, mind you, one does not normally get a brass band of their own except at their funeral, so I made the most of it. Living in south Louisiana as long as I did, I learned a few things. For a guy born in Connecticut, leading a Second Line came surprisingly naturally to me if I do say so myself. It was outrageously fun, and the best part was seeing so many old friends as the parade moved through the concert hall. Once on the plaza, another band, a fabulous dance band, kicked off an outdoor dance party that went on into the night. What a way to go out!
I am grateful for so much from my 20+ years with the BRSO. I am grateful for the wonderful musicians with whom I had the privilege of sharing the stage so many times. I am grateful for the close friendships developed over the years. I am grateful for the opportunity to, along with my colleagues, bring great music to a wonderful city. I am grateful to all of those who supported our efforts. I am also grateful for all the kind and generous words shared with me in public and private this week. They mean more to me than I can express.
It was a very moving evening for me, and kudos to the musicians of the BRSO, the chorus and our soloists for a compelling performance of Beethoven’s masterpiece. I will cherish the memories and friendships I have made over the years and look forward to creating more. It’s not the last time I will be in BR, but I will miss being there more. I love Louisiana. I love the people, the culture and the breathtaking natural beauty of this place. I am so fortunate that my life’s path intersected with this magical, mysterious, joyous and soulful place we call Louisiana.
#batonrougesymphony #brso
May 16, 2022
It was a great pleasure, as always, to share the stage with my colleagues of the Lansing Symphony last Friday. Season closer concerts are always bittersweet. I am sorry to see the season end but very much looking forward to what next season has in store for us.
It was a great pleasure getting to know pianist Clayton Stephenson who played the Florence Price Concerto with us Friday night. He was scheduled to play the Beethoven First Concerto, but upon recently learning of his advancement to the finals of the Van Cliburn competition, he asked for a change in repertoire, and the Price fit the bill perfectly. He really drew us all into the work, especially the beautiful and soulful second movement and the audience was generously exuberant in their response.. His two encores brought down the house again and again.
The world premiere of LSO Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin’s “Earthrise” also garnered a powerful response of approval from our audience. I heard from many in the orchestra that they loved it too. I think this work will have a wonderful life in the orchestral repertoire.
I’m in Baton Rouge as I write this with the BRSO for a Beethoven Symphony No. 9 on Friday. It is always a very special experience to prepare and perform this iconic work, especially so with my long-time friends and colleagues of Baton Rouge Symphony and Chorus. We had two terrific rehearsals yesterday, and I look forward to the remainder of the work this week.
NEXT UP:
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Rebekah Howell, Soprano
Marquita Raley-Cooper, Mezzo-soprano
Dominic Armstrong, Tenor
Timothy Jones , Bass-Baritone
River Center Theater
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7:30 p.m
#batonrougesymphony #batonrouge
May 10, 2022
It’s a big week for us in Lansing. This Friday will be our final Masterworks concert of the season, and it is an exciting one. We will begin with a world premiere of LSO’s Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin. Patrick’s piece is called “EARTHRISE” and takes its inspiration from the iconic photograph of the same name taken from Apollo 8 in 1968. We have our first rehearsal tonight, and I can’t wait to hear it outside of my head. The work strikes me as a celebration of the grandeur and beauty of our planet and the mystery and vastness of the universe in which it hangs….all a reminder of how we must care for our home such that it can continue to support the life it has miraculously offered us.
Another very special and important work will follow, Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement. Our soloist is Clayton Stephenson, a Gilmore Young Artist and just recently announced finalist for Cliburn. I’m looking forward to sharing the Price with our audience as they will love the late-romantic style infused with flavors from Ms. Price’s African-American heritage. It is a beautiful and engaging work.
We finish the concert and the season with Brahms' Symphony No. 2. What can be said about this sublime work that hasn’t been already?
It’s a quick turnaround for me. This concert is Friday, and Sunday I am off to Baton Rouge to start rehearsals for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with my friends and colleagues of the BRSO…an exciting two weeks!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
May 13, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Clayton Stephenson, piano
HARLIN EARTHRISE
PRICE Piano Concerto in One Movement
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
#patrickharlin #florenceprice #claytonstephenson #lansingsymphony #batonrougesymphony #lansing
April 8, 2022
Last night was another exciting night for the Lansing Symphony. It was our second installment of “LSO at the Robin,” our series of concerts at Lansing’s Robin Theater in REO Town. Again, the place was sold out, and again the audience was hanging on every note. Since it was chamber music, I could sit back and enjoy, and part of the enjoyment was observing the audience response.
The program consisted entirely of works from living Michigan composers, and one can see what a font of musical creativity this state really is. Three were on hand and offered remarks on their works. LSO Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin opened the program with his “Molasses” a look at how a musical idea might respond to different densities of resistance. Alexis Bacon, a member of Michigan State’s faculty, joined us for a vibrant performance of her “Capriccio,” and Michael Daugherty came over from Ann Arbor for two of his works, “Six Riffs after Ovid” (kudos to oboist Stephanie Shapiro for her very engaging performance of this work), and “Walk the Walk.”
Also on the program, we heard Carlos Simon’s moving “Catch on Fire,” and Eve Beglarian’s “I will not be sad in this world” (kudos here to Bryan Guarnuccio for his mesmerizing performance). The concert closed with David Beidenbender’s mashup of funk, Motown, dub-step, music of the French Renaissance, folk, death metal and pointillistic music (not even kidding about that) called “Refractions”. The movement titles say a lot about that work 1)Death Metal Chicken 2) Kyrie 3) Goat Rodeo. It was a blast to say the least.
Many thanks to our fantastic musicians for their outstanding performance last night. I would gladly listen to the whole thing again.
#michaeldaugherty #alexisbacon #carlossimon #lansingsymphony #robintheater #lansingmichigan #evebeglarian #davidbiedenbender #bryanguarnuccio #stephanieshapiro
March 20, 2022
I’m sure the word “phenomenal” has been attached to pianist Conrad Tao many times in his career. Beyond his artistry at the keyboard, he has also garnered significant attention as a composer and an advocate for music. But his performance of Mozart’s profound, yet mercurial, K. 491 with the Lansing Symphony last night brought a slightly different meaning of the word than its customary generic application in music.
The phenomenon came from his approach to this work that I can only describe as “spontaneous.” It felt as if he was composing the work as he played it and, by some magical connection, the orchestra knew what notes to play and when. This had to do with things like, how he tossed off ornamentation, not in some labored, affectual way, but it a totally natural, effortless way. It was from his pacing of the flow of the energy of the work, his use of tempo and atmosphere.
The irony, of course, is that to create the effect of spontaneity, we as artists usually have to work a piece within an inch of its life such that our understanding, technical tools and concept are so clearly formed that we can make it sound as if we are making it up. I didn’t get to ask Conrad about his preparation process, but it’s a conversation I would love to have with him some time.
The other two works on the program also had their own kind of spontaneity. We opened with Poulenc’s Suite Francaise, a Renaissance-inspired work for winds, percussion and harpsichord. I sat this one out as it seemed that a true chamber music approach (without conductor) would best allow the piece to blossom. I also think it’s good for our players to connect with each other in the way that chamber music requires. It was a beautiful performance. I could have listened to it again as soon as they finished.
The one work I actually conducted on the evening (Conrad conducted Mozart from the keyboard), was Haydn’s gem, the Symphony No. 90. Kudos to the players who brought such great energy and joy to this work, and kudos to the audience who didn’t fall for Haydn’s devious, but well-intentioned, applause traps that are but one part of this work's wit and charm.
Up next for us is the second installment of our prototype of what we hope will become a concert series next season, LSO at the Robin. These are programs of music of our time in a cozy used book store/concert venue in Lansing’s Reo Town. The bar next door, from which you can bring refreshments into the concert, does provide even more appeal to the concert. Our March installment was a huge success and sold out, so if you are interested in coming, you should get your tickets now. All of these composers have a Michigan connection, and some will be at the concert. I hope you will be there too!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Chamber Players
Robin Theater, Lansing, Michigan
April 7, 2022
7:30 p.m.
Patrick Harlin Molasses
Alexis Bacon Capriccio
Michael Daugherty Six Riffs after Ovid
Carlos Simon Catch on fire
Eve Beglarian I will not be sad in this world
Michael Daugherty Walk the Walk
David Biedenbender Refraction
#conradtao #lansingsymphony #alexisbacon #michaeldaugherty #carlossimon #evebeglarian #davidbiedenbender #patrickharlin
March 4, 2022
I’m still riding high from last night’s fabulous concert of the Lansing Symphony's Chamber Players at the Robin Theater in Lansing’s REO town. I didn’t conduct this one, just got to sit back and enjoy the evening.
It was all music of today…the oldest composer was Bartok, otherwise they were all living and breathing. Two of the composers were actually living and breathing at the concert, David Biedenbender and Zhou Tian. LSO’s Composer in Residence Patrick Harlin was living and breathing at the concert too. We closed the program with an arrangement of his.
Along with Bartok, we did Zhou’s fabulous “Viaje” for piano, flute and cello. Zhou shared a beautiful introduction that brought us right into the world of his piece. The players brought it to life with all its brilliance, passion and energy…fabulous music, fabulously played.
Dave then told us a bit about his work “Spending the Night,”a duet for flute and clarinet, and then introduced Robert Fanning, who’s poem inspired the music. After Robert’s powerful reading of his poem, a heart-wrenching memory of the passing of his sister, the audience was primed emotionally for Dave’s musical reflection. The combination of the two works was profoundly moving…not a dry eye in the house.
Music of Jesse Jones, Adolphus Hailstork and Piazzolla followed and the sold-out house ate it all up. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to this concert of contemporary music, and I can’t wait until the next one…April 7th if you are going to be around.
The Robin Theater is a perfect venue for this kind of concert. There is a bar right next door, so patrons can grab a beverage and bring it in. The hall is intimate, with beautiful acoustics, so the performance has the kind of immediacy that makes live music “live.”
Congratulations to all involved!!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Conrad Tao, piano
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
March 19, 2022
7:30 p.m.
POULENC Suite Francaise
HAYDN Symphony No. 90
MOZART Piano Concerto in C minor, K. 491
#lansingsymphony #davidbiedenbender #zhoutian #robintheater #robertfanning
February 1, 2022
Well, this is disappointing. As I mentioned in my previous post, my next engagement was to be with the incomparable Emanuel Ax as part of the Pennington Great Performers in Concert Series with the Baton Rouge Symphony. We were scheduled to be the “Grand Re-Opening” of Baton Rouge’s River Center Theater after it has been closed for renovation.
News flash: it’s not done yet. The contractor's blame supply chain issues. Just for the record, the BRSO and everyone else who used the facility vacated the place nearly four years ago in the spring of 2018, a full year and a half before Covid became an issue, so I think there may be factors other than Covid and supply chain that are weighing on this. Honestly, for reasons I won’t go into here, I can’t say I’m surprised.
The concert has been postponed until September. Maybe the hall will be finished by then, or not.
On a positive note, I am very much looking forward to the next Lansing Symphony concert with another great pianist, Conrad Tao. Conrad is playing Mozart K. 491 (c minor) with us. This one is a bit off the beaten Mozart Concerto path (he did write 27 of them), but wow, is it special. It is unique among the Mozart concertos for its harmonic richness, intricate orchestral writing, and overall expressive depth. It is a joy to study, as I feel like I am really exploring new territory and discovering new facets of Mozart. I have not conducted it before, and I actually won’t conduct it at the concert either! Conrad will conduct from the keyboard, but since I will prepare the orchestra prior to his arrival, I am deep in study.
Also on the program is Haydn’s brilliant Symphony 90 (I could spend every day with Haydn and not tire of it), and Poulenc’s Suite Francaise featuring the fabulous and virtuoso winds and keyboardist of the LSO. It will be a wonderful evening of classical and neo-classical wit, elegance, grace and a bit of drama mixed in for good measure.
In the meantime, I am working on programming two chamber music concerts for the LSO made up of music of our time. The works are primarily from composers with a Michigan connection. These programs will be performed in a very “alternative” and super-cool venue in a part of Lansing called REO Town. The concerts will be early March and early April….more to come on that. It’s going to be very exciting!
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Conrad Tao, piano
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
March 19, 2022
7:30 p.m.
POULENC Suite Francaise
HAYDN Symphony No. 90
MOZART Piano Concerto in C minor, K. 491
#lansingsymphony #conradtao #robintheater
January 15, 2022
I knew Suren would be great, especially in Shostakovich, but what he unleashed from his instrument in last night’s concert with the Lansing Symphony left all of us a bit breathless. Suren Bagratuni’s ability to create a white-hot intensity in his sound made me think the instrument would spontaneously combust at any moment. It is rare to hear this kind of playing, playing that is not afraid to push the instrument to it’s limits. This is not to say he doesn’t also find the rich, warm and tender sides when needed, or the hollow, cold, and desolate character called for at the end of the slow movement of this masterpiece, the Concerto No. 1. It was a spectacular reading of this work from beginning to end. I just wish we could do it again.
We opened the program with a very evocative work of LSO’s Composer-in-Residence Patrick Harlin. The work is called “River of Doubt” and was inspired by Teddy Roosevelt’s ill-fated trek down the Amazon after losing a presidential re-election bid. The work incorporates soundscapes that Patrick himself recorded on his own trip down the Amazon, this one not ill-fated fortunately, but one full of wonderful stories and resulted in a very engaging piece of music. The audience loved it.
Speaking of the audience, thanks to those of you who braved a very chilly night and Omicron fears to share in this night of music making with us. We appreciated your enthusiastic support!
The concert closed with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 6. It was a welcome immersion in pure beauty and joy after what was a very intense 1st half. It felt like the works balanced each other nicely that way. More often than not, Dvorak’s music is deceptively challenging, sometimes not even deceptively so, just plain challenging. Kudos to the LSO players for bringing this difficult work to life with such grace and style.
Next for me is a trip back to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Although I left my position as Music Director there a few years ago, they keep asking me back and I am very grateful for that! It is always a pleasure to see my friends and colleagues and visit a city and state that I love. We have Emanuel Ax on the program, the Pennington Great Performers in Concert Gala, so that will be a wonderful experience for sure. Rumor has it, the concert will be in the newly-renovated concert hall. Time will tell on that one.
NEXT UP
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
Emanuel Ax, piano
River Center Theater for the Performing Arts?
February 12, 2022
8:00 p.m.
TORKE Javelin
BERNSTEIN On the Town: Three Dance Episodes
GERSHWIN An American In Paris
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2
#lansingsymphony #surenbagratuni #patrickharlin #teddyroosevelt #emanuelax
December 20, 2021
Yesterday’s Holiday Pops with the Lansing Symphony was a wonderful time. Lansing’s own Travis Leon shared his fabulous vocal talents with us ranging from Handel’s “Comfort Ye” to “White Christmas” and he delivered! The audience loved him. It is always exciting to feature our local talent.
For me an “un-sung” star of the show was an arranger named Jim Stephenson. We did several works from his catalog, and they are some of the freshest and most engaging holiday arrangements I have encountered. I heard many comments from the orchestra players themselves about how great the arrangements sounded and how much they enjoyed playing them. It was obvious the audience enjoyed them too.
I am very excited about what’s next on my calendar, and that is the Lansing Symphony’s January Masterworks. Cellist Suren Bagratuni will join us in Shostakovich’s First Concerto, and I can’t wait. Suren is a truly wonderful musician with whom I have been looking forward to working for some time now, and I have a feeling Shostakovich is right in his “wheelhouse” as they say.
That program will open with a work by our Composer-in Residence, Patrick Harlin, called River of Doubt, a highly evocative work inspired by Teddy Roosevelt’s treacherous excursion down the Amazon. The work features soundscapes collected by Patrick’s on his own trip down that storied river (accompanied by his wife, and fellow composer, Audrey). It is a work unlike any other, and one that I know will engage the audience in a powerful way.
NEXT UP
LANSING SYMPHOHY ORCHESTRA
Suren Bagratuni, cello
January 14, 2022
Wharton Center
HARLIN River of Doubt
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1
DVORAK Symphony No. 6
#SurenBagratuni #Patrickharlin #TeddyRoosevelt #TravisLeon #LansingSymphony #JamesStephenson
December 10, 2021
Holiday Pops is coming up soon for the Lansing Symphony. I always look forward to our holiday programs because we tend to see new audience members for these concerts, and it is a nice opportunity to get acquainted. These concerts are quite "interactive."..I tell some bad jokes and people politely laugh. I especially appreciate the laughs that follow the jokes I have used every year for the last 15 years...those are nice, generous people out there.
We mix the program up with a lot of variety from classical to popular. This year we are featuring tenor Travis Leon, a Lansing native who is now out making a name for himself in the world. It will be Mr. Leon's first time with the orchestra, and we are looking forward to it. He will present a nice range of styles ranging from some music from Handel's Messiah to Winter Wonderland and others.
This concert is always a wonderful community event and leaves everyone's spirits uplifted. Tickets are going quickly, so if you want to come you should call soon. Also, be sure to check out the Covid protocols. We are working hard to keep everyone safe.
NEXT UP:
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Travis Leon, tenor
December 19, 2021 3:00 p.m.
Wharton Center
HOLIDAY POPS!!
#lansingsymphony #holidaypops #travisleontenor
November 13, 2021
No one plays like Lucia. Of course, there are many great violinists who provide spectacular renderings of the repertoire, but there is something fresh, unique and deeply personal in what Lucia Micarelli brought to Sibelius last night in our concert with the Lansing Symphony. She is a musician who works in a broad range of styles, and I think that experience informs her approach to the masterworks. Aside from her ability to dispatch this monster of a work with flawless execution, among her other many wonderful attributes in a remarkable ability to connect with the audience, to draw them in to her world, and that is exactly what she did last night. I have had the pleasure of conducting the Sibelius concerto many times, all wonderful, but none like this one.
We opened the program with one of the “Top 40” in classical music right now, Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum.” This work is enjoying huge success in the US right now and for good reason. The players love it, the audience loves it. It is wonderful American music of today.
Schumann Symphony 4 brought the concert to a close. Schumann’s orchestral music is among the most difficult because of the degree of nuance needed to make the music come alive. I was so impressed with the way the LSO players found the spirit and style of this work and delivered a performance full of life, grace, drama and joy. What a pleasure it was to share the stage with them. Bravo!
November 7, 2021
What a thrill it was to once again share the stage with my long-time friends and colleagues of the Baton Rouge Symphony, joined by the brilliant pianist Jon Nakamatsu and a cameo appearance from the Louisiana Youth Orchestra!
The occasion was a sold-out concert celebration the BRSO’s 75th anniversary. We chose a program that highlighted some of the musical legacy of the orchestra including the work they played to open their Carnegie Hall concert in the 1980’s (Chadwick’s Jubilee), two works the orchestra had commissioned for their 40th and 50th anniversaries by Kenton Coe and Stephen Paulus, and a work from the orchestra’s first concert in 1947 (Borodin, Polovtsian Dances). Members of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra joined us for some music from Carmen to celebrate the wonderful contributions of that very successful program. Mr. Nakamatsu, a frequent guest of the orchestra over the years, joined us in Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto to bring the concert to a close (although he did add a very poetic Chopin encore to round out the evening).
BRSO also announced the much-anticipated Pennington Great Performer for 2022. Emanuel Ax will be joining the orchestra for Chopin’s Second Concerto…very exciting!
The concert was originally scheduled to be held in Baton Rouge’s newly remodeled River Center Theater. The work has not been completed though (imagine that…a construction project that’s behind schedule, who knew??). Instead, we held the program in a ballroom of the River Center, and it worked surprisingly well, even acoustically. Kudos to the River Center crew who made all that happen and exceeded expectations.
This week is an exciting one for me as well back in Lansing. The Lansing Symphony presents our second masterworks program of the season, joined by the fabulous violinist Lucia Micarelli. Lucia will be playing Sibelius with us (the whole thing…not morphing into Kashmir this time, although I must say I’m a big fan of that version too!! If you don’t know of what I speak, it’s on YouTube. Check it out). I have been trying to get Lucia in the concerto slot for years. We had her on board for 2019-20, and well we all know how that turned out. So we are thrilled to have her this season as we return to live music. Also on the program, “Strum” of America’s new classical rock-star composer Jessie Montgomery and Schumann’s wonderful Fourth Symphony. It’s going to be a great week.
NEXT UP
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
November 12, 2021
Lucia Micarelli, violin
MONTGOMERY. Strum
SIBELIUS. Violin Concerto
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
#jonnakmatsu #batonrouge #batonrougesymphony #stephenpaulus #kentoncoe #emanuelax #luciamicarelli #jessiemontgomery
October 27, 2021
I just came off two exciting concert weeks. For starters, the Lansing Symphony opened its season this month with our first indoor performance since things shut down. It was beyond beautiful to share the stage with my fabulous colleagues and share music with our wonderful audience.
Pianist Michael Brown brought elegance, grace, (and power when needed) to Tchaikovsky’s 1st Concerto. Is was a great pleasure to have him with us. The other highlight of the program was Roger Brigg’s work “Gathering Together.” It was written in 1996, but perfect in every way for the occasion of our first gathering since early 2020.
From there I was off to Baton Rouge for the fifth annual installment of “Bachtoberfest.” The name says it all, beer, brats, and Bach (with a few friends added for good measure). It is exciting to see this new series be so successful, selling beyond capacity, and it was great to make music again with my long-time friends in the orchestra.
I head back to BR next week for a concert celebrating the orchestra’s 75th anniversary. We have a great program exploring some of the ensemble’s musical legacy including a work from it’s very first program in 1947 (Polovstian Dances), the work with which they opened their concert in Carnegie Hall (Chadwick Jubilee), and two works the orchestra had commissioned from composers Kenton Coe and Stephen Paulus. Also joining the program will be members of the Louisiana Youth Orchestra for a side-by-side performance of some music from Carmen, and the great Jon Nakamatsu closes the program with Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto. It promises to be a wonderful night!
NEXT UP
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra
Jon Nakamatsu, piano
November 5, 2021
CHADWICK Jubilee
KOE Ischiana
PAULUS Age of American Passions
BORDIN Polovtsian Dances
BIZET Selections from Carmen (with LYO)
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
#lansingsymphony #batonrougesymphony #rogerbriggs #michealbrownpianist #jonnakamatsu #lansingmichigan #batonrouge #kentoncoe #stephenpaulus #michaelbrownpiano
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