How Many Maestros Does It Take To Screw in a Light Bulb?

This is a PRESS RELEASE for the upcoming conductor workshop that I have organized with the Round Rock Symphony in Texas...

“How Many Maestros Does It Take
to Screw in a Light Bulb?"

April 22, 2010, Round Rock, TX—If you have ever wondered about the punch-line to the joke “How many maestros does it take to screw in a light bulb?,” you are in luck. For one week in May, orchestra conductors from all over America will converge in Round Rock for an orchestra conducting workshop organized by the Round Rock Symphony. The classes, taught by lead faculty Maestro Peter Bay (music director, Austin Symphony), will help the young Maestros learn score preparation, body movement, musical interpretation, and rehearsal techniques. The week-long workshop culminates in a public concert on Saturday, May 22, at 8:00 p.m., which will take place at the C.D. Fulkes Auditorium (300 W. Anderson Avenue, downtown Round Rock). Round Rock’s own Maestro, Silas Nathaniel Huff will conduct. In addition to the public concert, one of the rehearsals with the conductors-in-training will be open to the public on Thursday, May 20, 6:00-10:00 p.m. The rehearsal, which will happen at the Wingate by Windham Hotel ballroom (1209 North I-35 at Palm Valley Boulevard), will be a rare glimpse into an orchestra’s rehearsal process, and an opportunity to hear young conductors receiving feedback from a renowned Maestro.

The Round Rock Symphony’s concert on May 22 will feature four masterpieces from different periods from the classical to the twentieth century: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute Overture, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolanus Overture, Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony,” and Aaron Copland’s Quiet City. The concert will also feature Amy Burgus performing the English Horn solo and Josh Davies performing the trumpet solo on Quiet City.

“Conducting the music of four hugely famous composers like these is a great honor and a daunting task, akin to handling paintings by Delacroix, Degas, Van Gogh, and Dali,” says Maestro Silas Huff, music director of the Round Rock Symphony. “We will survey the last 200 years of history through majestic, moving, and joyful music—it’s the best way to reflect on history and the human condition.”

Tickets for this concert range in price from $15 to $20 (all RRISD students and any child 12 & under is free), and may be purchased by cash or credit card at the door, or via credit card online at www.RoundRockSymphony.org. The box office opens one hour before the performance.

The concert will be the culmination of a week-long workshop for professional and aspiring orchestra conductors, with the venerable Maestro Peter Bay as lead instructor. Twelve conductors are coming from Salt Lake City, Miami, and New York, among other places, to study the concert repertoire under the guidance of the Austin Symphony’s long-time Maestro. According to Bay, the students will not only learn about score study and identifying musical problems, they will also “go deeper…to learn about the art of interpretation.” In addition, they will take a variety of body movement classes in order to better understand physical methods of communication.

“The art of conducting is very cerebral, but also relies on a person’s ability to express ideas with the hands, face, and torso,” says Maestro Huff. “Conductors often are very talented musicians who have little training in the art of moving a baton through space and communicating with the body. This workshop will fill in some of those gaps.” In addition to music and conducting techniques classes taught by Maestro Bay, the workshop participants will study ballet, yoga, the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi, and Alexander Technique, a tension-diminishing method that promotes efficient use of the body.

Participant Joseph Choi, Associate Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (KY) says, “The Repertoire for this workshop consists of pieces that are in constant demand for workshops and auditions, and we can use this time to brush up our skills, meet other conductors, and recharge our conducting batteries for the coming season.”

“I was inspired by Maestro Bay years ago,” says participant Adam Torres, a former music student at UT and candidate for Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting at Colorado State University. “I am honored for the opportunity to learn from and work with him in Round Rock.”

Paul Davis, Conductor of the Webster University Symphony Orchestra in St. Louis, MO, is another ex-Longhorn. “As a UT alumnus, I am enthused to return to the Austin area to be part of this workshop…and eager to work with the Round Rock Symphony, Maestro Huff, and Maestro Bay.”

The public is invited to watch the final workshop session of the week, during which participants take turns conducting the Round Rock Symphony in a rehearsal of Dvořák’s “New World Symphony.” Each conductor will have the opportunity to create music, hear feedback from Maestro Bay, and make adjustments to their style and technique. This session takes place on Thursday, May 20, 6:00-10:00 p.m. in the ballroom of the Wingate by Windham Hotel, where the workshop participants are staying. Admission to this special workshop event a $5 suggested donation for onlookers.

To learn more about the event visit www.RoundRockSymphony.org, or contact the Symphony at (512) 264-5368 or info@RoundRockSymphony.org.

The Round Rock Symphony, a start-up non-profit corporation, needs angels to support it. Music lovers who want to support the Round Rock Symphony by sponsoring or underwriting a concert, or by advertising in a playbill are invited to contact the Symphony at (512) 264-5368 or info@RoundRockSymphony.org. To learn more about supporting the Round Rock Symphony, call or visit www.RoundRockSymphony.org/support.htm.

How Can a Volcano in Iceland Affect a Concert in NYC?

As an orchestra conductor, I'm not terribly tuned in to events that happen around the world. Certainly I'm aware of major world events, tragic and joyous, but my work generally suffers no impact when something goes wrong elsewhere on planet Earth. Until Eyjafjallajökull...

If I had been in Europe when the volcano erupted, or if I were going to conduct a concert in Europe, it would be clear how it impacted me. But I was in New York, planning a concert in New York. The problem is: that the sheet music I need is in Europe.

"Seriously? You can't find the music in America?" No. On May 8, the Astoria Symphony is scheduled to perform Jean-Baptist Lully's Triomphe de l'amour Ballet Suite, a rarely performed piece from the early Baroque period. It's so rarely performed that there is only one edition of the parts commercially available, and it's published by Doblinger, and there isn't a single copy anywhere on Earth, except in Europe (that I know of). I'm told by multiple sources that there is virtually no way I can receive the parts on time, unless I spend a ton of money and don't mind the orchestra sight-reading at the first rehearsal. And I have to get really lucky for the parts to arrive before the first rehearsal. I'd have to be quite lucky for the parts to arrive before the concert, for that matter. Ugh.

"Why didn't you order the music much earlier, before the volcano erupted?" Besides the fact that I didn't know the volcano would erupt, and that it would keep planes on the ground for weeks, or that the parts didn't exist anywhere in America, I wasn't entirely sure the concert would happen because the Astoria Symphony is waiting for funds to arrive from the State of New York. It was a perfect storm.

"Have you called [someone you think might have the parts]?" Yes. They don't have the parts.

"Have you ever looked on IMSLP Petrucci Library?" Yes. There are no parts. And have you seen the score? Only an early music specialist could read the parts, even if they were available.

"Why don't you just change the program?" The concert theme is "triumphant love" and this Lully suite is the cornerstone of the whole program - the concert is billed as "The Astoria Symphony presents Le Triomphe de l'amour."

"What are you going to do?" Laugh. And then I'll substitute something by Tchaikovsky and have a really funny story to tell the audience in the pre-concert lecture.

The lessons I learned are: A) do not wait to order your music for a concert that is happening in less than a month, B) do not rely on funds from the State of New York for a concert, C) do not expect that a volcano in Iceland will have no impact on your concert in America, and D) do not program obscure music that is not in print in your hemisphere. And never do all three!

The DCA - NYC's blessing to the arts

Being a music director of a professional orchestra is a lot of fun, but it's not all waving a stick and taking a bow. There is the extremely important and mildly unpleasant task of raising money to support the orchestra to think about constantly. Opera, ballet, and symphonic music are among the most rewarding art forms that exist, but they are also among the most expensive to produce. And expensive art requires a lot of money.

The Quick History of Funding Symphonic Music

A long time ago, "classical" music - that is to say fancy, expensive orchestra music - was the domain of the aristocracy only. Royalty and other aristocrats funded classical music out of their deep coffers because, well...because they could. Churches did the same. A duke might throw a party and hire an orchestra to entertain the guests. An archbishop might order up a grand cantata for a special occasion. Or an emperor might order an opera house built and an opera company formed to entertain all the aristocrats of his domain. All performances were funded complete by the richie-rich who ordered the performance(s). Some wealthy families hired orchestras to live in their palace like servants and be at their beck and call at all times. They would often hire a composer and conductor to be their composer-in-residence (in those days "in residence" had an entirely more literal meaning). The Estherhazy family had Franz Joseph Haydn living in their house, for example. He wore a uniform, and was an employee of the house. This type of music became a luxury of the upper class, a stigma that classical musicians are still trying to eschew.

As democracy took hold in the 18th & 19th centuries, this structure slowly collapsed. As education improved, the European classes structure faltered, and the gap between the wealthy and the lower class closed, the system of paying for and creating symphonic music, opera, and ballet evolved. "High art" was no longer deemed the property of the upper class.

In some countries, governments took up the torch and paid for it out of tax money. In other countries, the private sector, consisting of remnants of the aristocratic class and "new money" folks made wealthy in the industrial revolution, funded these expensive art forms with limited assistance from the government because they recognized its importance to society.

Today - in America - opera, ballet, and symphonic music are funded mostly through the generosity of individual donors, private foundations, and corporate sponsors who know that by subsidizing this art we improve the quality of life in America and help make the general populace more educated, sophisticated, and...(is civilized the right word?). Wealthy people and companies like MetLife, Credit Suisse, Target, and JPMorganChase support the arts in America because they know it's good for business, good for America. They fund nearly 40% of the expenses incurred by arts organizations. HERE are the people who support the NY Philharmonic, for example. Ticket sales and other "earned income" fund another 40%.

But it's not enough. The government chips in a bit, and that support is crucial to thousands of arts organizations. According to the League of American Orchestras Quick Orchestra Facts, orchestras are funded in this way:

• 39% private donors (individuals and corporations)
• 33% concert income (ticket sales)
• 15% endowment
• 8% other earned income (CD sales, tuition, services, etc.)
• 5% government support.

It is this government support that is on my mind today. As I help fill out the application for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs funding that generously keeps the Astoria Symphony alive, I am grateful that New York City has such a thriving arts community, such an affluent and generous populace, and a government that recognizes the arts as a vital part of what makes the City great. I believe firmly that the arts help make a city great. Think of any great city in the world and guess what - it has a thriving arts scene.
Thank you, NYC DCA, for helping New York City have the greatest arts community in America (the world?). We are truly fortunate to have you.

Hiking, Opera, and Upcoming Events

A wild month of music-making culminated this past weekend with the final performance of the new opera Paul's Case. In February there were two fund-raising events (one in Manhattan, one in Texas), and in March I conducted in California, hosted an international conductor workshop in NYC, organized and conducted an amazing Astoria Symphony concert, and music directed Paul's Case. When the final performance of Paul's Case ended on Saturday, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I can rest now, I thought.

I decided to go for a long hike on Sunday. Nothing is more relaxing than a long hike in beautiful country. Taylor, my good friend Heather, and I all piled into Heather's car and drove to Cold Spring, NY, to explore Hudson Highlands State Park. It's beautiful. We planned a nice, medium-difficulty, 5-mile hike. We wanted to relax and take in the beauty. Well...

We got lost. Somewhere three to four miles north of Cold Spring but south of Breakneck Ridge we just got lost. We followed trail markers until there weren't any more, then we relied on the sun and my trail map to figure out where we were, but it just didn't happen. So we wandered. We were never scared because in that area of NY State you just can't walk very far without encountering a road or some man-made structure eventually and that's what happened. We found Lake Surprise Camp (appropriately named "Surprise!"), and a nice guy (from Queens!) was there fixing the place up, preparing for the summer season. He directed us to the main road back to Cold Spring.

The hike back to Cold Spring was 5 miles long, on top of the 5 we had already hiked. I suppose we could've called a taxi at to pick us up at camp, or we could have hitched back to town from the main road, but we were so dead-set on doing it ourselves that we just walked. Our quick hike in the woods turned into an all-day adventure. Our feet hurt. Hips, ankles, knees, backs, too. When we got back to Cold Spring we downed a pizza, a couple beers, and 3 ice cream cones in record time.

OK, so I'm not fully rested now. I went back to work at the Manhattan School of Music on Monday fully exhausted and in need of a break. But I'm ready to take on the world regardless.

Upcoming things I'm producing and/or performing in:

• Friday, March 26, 6:00 pm: APAC Fundraiser, Studio Square, Astoria. For info, click here.
• Saturday, April 10, 8:00 pm: The Forte String Quartet, Church in the Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave. Forest Hills, Queens. For info, click here.
• April 29 & May 1, 8:00 pm: Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, Waltz-Astoria & Tenri Cultural Institute. For info, click here.
• Saturday, May 8, 8:00 pm: Astoria Symphony, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, 35th Avenue & 35th Street, Astoria, Queens. For info, click here.
• Saturday, May 22, 8:00 pm: Round Rock Symphony, C.D. Fulkes Auditorium, 300 West Anderson Ave, Round Rock, TX. For info, click here.

Back to my bike! (and music)

Happy St. Paddy's Day! (yes, it's Paddy's, not Patty's).

It's been a gruesome winter in NYC and the cold just broke. Well, actually it broke a week ago, but then we had a horrendous rain storm, so today, March 17, 2010, is - for me - the beginning of a beautiful spring. I rode my bike to work today for the first time in a very long time (since January?). My bike commute is wonderful. I leave my apartment and in only a couple minutes I'm on the triborough bridge (now called the RFK Bridge). The pedestrian walkway has been recently renovated so it's wider, safer, and has fewer stairs on it. Great! When I get to Ward's Island, I have a delightful 5 minute ride on a bike trail where I typically see a few squirrels, ducks, and geese before I reach the Harlem Footbridge (AKA Ward's Island Bridge). This bridge is closed November-March, so the commute is not as nice in the winter, but today it was open! I coast onto the Island of Manhattan at 103rd Street and have a short 6-block ride to Central Park. In Central Park I traverse the north end of East Drive to 7th Avenue at the top of the park. Ah, it's so wonderful. Then I have a short ride through south Harlem to my gym where I catch a breather, clean up, and get ready for work.

I love this commute. And my wife Taylor will tell that I'm a bit glum on days when I can't ride my bike due to weather or some strange engagement that requires me to carry too much stuff to take on my bike.

OK, back to music...now that the NYC Kirk Trevor Conductor Workshop is behind us, the Astoria Symphony concert is over (it was a huge success), and my performance of the new opera Paul's Case was a big hit, I can start looking forward to upcoming projects. They are:

1. This Saturday, March 20, at 4 pm: repeat performance of Greg Spear's new opera Paul's Case in Brooklyn as part of BAM's opera festival. Details here.

2. April 10, 8 pm: AMS's chamber music concert featuring the Forte String Quartet. Details here.

3. April 28 & 30, and May 2: Manhattan School of Music's production of The Marriage of Figaro. Details here.

4. April 29 & May 1, 8 pm: Lost Dog New Music Ensemble's From the Mountains to the Sea - Elemental America Concert. Details here.

5. May 8, 8 pm: The Astoria Symphony Season Finale. Details here.

6. May 16-22: Round Rock Symphony's conductor workshop. Details here.

7. May 22: Round Rock Symphony's season finale (From Ancient Rome to the New World). Details here.

Los Angeles was great...Astoria Symphony and new opera this weekend!

My trip to L.A. was wonderful. I visited with a great friend and had some fun. While I was out there I decided to visit some old professors and mentors, and I really enjoyed my time with them. First, Maestro Joel Lish, music director of the Palisades Symphony, invited me to conduct Dvorak's Eighth Symphony in his rehearsal. It was a great treat to conduct my old "band," the first orchestra I ever conducted. I mostly enjoyed the experience because I realized how much I've developed as a conductor. In 1999, I was simply honored that they allowed me to stand in front of them with a baton, but last week I was able to make music with them, helping them shape their performance. It's amazing what a decade of study and experience arms you with...

The next day I went to Santa Barbara to visit my first orchestral conducting teacher, Maestro Richard Rintoul. He is the conductor of the University of California Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra and the Colburn School of Music's Orchestra da Camera. It was great to visit with him, speak at his conducting class, and attend his orchestra rehearsal. He lives in a lovely place near a eucalyptus grove by the beach - heaven on earth!

Finally, I was able to steal a day off and go snowboarding with a couple of great buddies. Big Bear Lake was a lot of fun, even more so because I was able to hang out with an extraordinary trombonist friend of mine, Denis, who is an outstanding skier and will kindly forget that bad wipe-out I had at the bottom of the black. It was a "snow snake." It just jumped out of the snow and bit me.

Anyways, I was at the beach on Thursday, and I was snowboarding on Friday - that's why I love California.

Now I'm back in NYC, and this weekend I'll be conducting the Astoria Symphony as they play music by Sibelius, Beethoven, and Schumann. On Sunday, I'll conduct an opera showcase featuring Paul's Case, a new opera by the talented young composer Greg Spears. Check it out (for tickets and info, click here)!

Round Rock Success, Now in Los Angeles

The "All You Need Is Love" event in support of the Round Rock Symphony was a big success. The nearly-sold-out event was a lot of fun and raised a good chunk of money for live professional music and music education in Round Rock. The next Round Rock Symphony event is slated for May 22, and will feature the music of Mozert, Beethoven, Copland, and Dvorak (what a lineup!). The concert will be the culmination of a week-long national conductors' workshop. 12 conductors from 9 different states are converging upon Round Rock to study these great scores under the tutelage of Maestro Peter Bay (director of the Austin Symphony).

By the way, I'm writing to you from the City of Angels - Los Angeles. I came here to escape the cold and snow of New York City - and to visit great friends - but as it turns out, I love my work so much just can't stop working! When I contacted my old mentor Maestro Joel Lish to tell him I was coming to visit, he invited me to conduct the Palisades Symphony (Pacific Palisades, CA), the first orchestra I ever conducted. When I contacted my teacher Maestro Richard Rintoul, he invited me to come conduct his orchestra at the University of California Santa Barbara. I am honored that they asked me to conduct, and I am excited to show them how I've grown as an artist in the decade that has passed since I last saw them. The lessons here are: never burn bridges, and keep close ties with your colleagues, teachers, and peers.

Oh, and apparently a lot of people drive Ferraris here. This is the sight that greeted me when I walked out of the famous Moonshadows bar in Malibu (where Mel Gibson got lubed up before his infamous anti-Semitic rant in 2006). I enjoyed some great calamari and beverages with my good buddy MJ while the USA won the silver medal in the Olympics. I'm happy to announce that no Jews were harangued by Moonshadows customers today (that I know of).