Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
Of course we all need endurance and dedication to succeed. But sometimes, success can be measured on a more everyday level – like dealing with a less than perfect piano, or resisting the urge to run away just before the start of the concert!
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music? My childhood was spent in Saint Louis, about a mile from the Mississippi River.
I think the biggest challenge is to be able to ignite in my players and singers the desire to make the best music they are capable of. The task of the conductor can’t be micromanaging musicians all the time.
While the printed score is in two-dimensional black and white, music is a living language. As musicians, we must bring the notes to life and express the music as a colorful, three-dimensional world.
My first love and most enduring influence was – and continues to be – the music of JS Bach. Of course I studied the piano as a child, but eventually I wanted to play Bach’s music on an instrument which he would have recognised
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