The Muse in Music - Lawrence Golan on Programming with the Audience in Mind

By, Dan Perttu

For this time in the Muse in Music blog, I am interviewing Lawrence Golan, Music Director of the Yakima Symphony (Washington), York Symphony (Pennsylvania), the Denver Philharmonic, and the Lamont Symphony (Colorado). Lawrence has also conducted throughout the United States and in Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, El Salvador, England, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and continues to develop relationships with orchestras nationally and abroad. In addition to concerts with the orchestras of which he is Music Director, Golan’s 2018-19 season includes return engagements with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (for performances of The Nutcracker with Tucson Regional Ballet Company), his debut with Italy’s Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo and Maui Pops Orchestra, and leading a summer 2019 production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Europäisches Musikinstitut Wien. 2018 summer performances included the Yakima Symphony Orchestra’s new concert series at Cave B Summer Music Theater in Quincy, Washington and a sold-out concert with the Bayerische Philharmonie in Munich, Germany.

Dan: What music inspires you as a conductor? If the entire body of classical music were on fire, and you could only save 2 to 3 pieces, what would you save?

Lawrence: I am inspired by all kinds of music. From within the realm of Classical Music, I love repertoire from all periods, styles and geographic areas. That said, I tend to be most inspired by whatever I am working on at the time. When I’m studying and/or conducting a Brahms symphony—there is nothing better. But then I would say the same thing as I am working on Mahler, or Beethoven, or Mozart, etc. As for saving 2 or 3 pieces: Beethoven 9: it is the greatest and certainly the most influential symphony ever written. Mahler 2, Tchaik 5.

Dan: What motivates you as a conductor? Why do you do what you do?

Lawrence: I am motivated by the great composers. I am in such awe of their talent and creativity. I spend my days and nights trying to realize their creations and their intentions to the best of my ability.

I was born into a life of music. My father, Joseph Golan, was the Principal Second Violinist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for decades. I started as a professional violinist—not knowing any other life. I eventually morphed into conducting because I became enchanted with the big picture; not only the musical big picture (all of the parts, the interpretation, etc.), but the organizational big picture as well: programming, audience development, marketing, orchestra building, etc.

Dan: Audience development is a really interesting issue. What have you found to be the most effective ways to grow audiences?

Lawrence: This is a huge topic and one that can’t be fully explored right here and now. However, I can make a few comments about it. I think that for 95% of orchestras—all except those that have the budgets to bring in the superstar soloists and conductors whose names alone sell tickets—the most important factor in selling tickets and thus developing an audience is programming. I find that thematic programming—both for individual concerts as well as entire seasons—is helpful in this regard. While a concert with three great but unrelated pieces could be perfectly enjoyable for those who buy a ticket, it is difficult to market. All the marketing department can say is “come hear us play three really great pieces.” But thematic programming gives the marketing department something to grab on to. It can affect everything they do including the text they use for their materials, the graphics, the color schemes and end even pre- and post-concert activities. Another thing that I find very important, especially in regard to new music, is to gain the trust of the audience—trust that whatever we program, whether one has heard of the piece/composer or not, will be a great aural experience. The programming of bad pieces (those with no interesting sonic elements) can negatively impact ticket sales for future concerts. And the repeated programming of bad music will completely kill off an existing audience base.

Dan: This leads nicely into the idea of artistic vision. How would you characterize your artistic vision? How does music by living composers fit into this vision?

Lawrence: I endeavor to provide the audiences that I serve with a wide variety of music, from all countries, eras and styles. And within that programming context, I endeavor to present each piece within the historical performance practices that it was written as well as the historical, political and/or emotional context that the composer was working in. The works of living composers are absolutely a part of that equation. I want the audience to know that great music is still being written every day.

Dan: What a wonderful vision. Do you have preferences for certain aesthetic orientations or styles in new music? What does this imply for your programming and for your audiences?

Lawrence: My own preferences are, in my opinion, irrelevant. I don’t program for myself, but rather for the audience and, to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the situation (professional orchestra, university orchestra, youth orchestra, etc.) for the musicians in the orchestra. That said, in order to keep contemporary music alive, it is important not to let the audience, as they so often do, fall into the incorrect mindset that all contemporary music is bad. For that reason, I tend to program sonically interesting, exciting contemporary music as opposed to music whose interesting characteristics are strictly intellectual but cannot be heard.

Dan: Do you find that you and the administrators who work in your organizations have to market contemporary music differently?

Lawrence: Not really. Because my programs tend to be thematic, we primarily market the entire concert, as opposed to individual pieces. If a contemporary piece fits in to the theme of a concert, it belongs there. We don’t need to explain why we are doing it.

Dan: This has all been very interesting and illuminating to me. I have one more question - just on the lighter side, so that people can get to know you as a person. What do you do to relax?

Lawrence: Sadly, I have very little time to relax. However, I love my family (wife and two kids) and like to spend as much time with them as possible. We usually go on an annual ski trip and also tend to rendezvous with extended family members in tropical destinations (while I am not much of a beach fan, my wife certainly is!).

Dan: Wow – that sounds wonderful…. I’ll take either a ski trip or a tropical vacation—especially right now in the doldrums of the dark time of the year. Anyway, thank you so much for talking with me! I have enjoyed getting to know you as an artist.

Lawrence: Thank you!

The Muse in Music - Perspectives from Tim Corpus, Composer and Lake Forest Symphony Administrator

By, Dan Perttu

This time on the Muse in Music, I have the great pleasure of interviewing Tim Corpus, Composer and Executive Director at the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra. Tim is particularly unique because he has perspectives both as a composer and as an orchestra administrator, and I'm excited to share them with you.

Dan: I always love to ask fellow musicians this question, usually to start off with. What music inspires you the most? What repertoire do you love? And, why do you compose?

Tim: Like many people, I love a wide variety of music that changes day-to-day. On any given day I'm listening to concert music, film scores and rock music. My roots in music are really from 90s grunge and early 2000s punk, so I do hold that music in a high place. Bands like The Hotelier, Pinegrove, Brand New and The Wonder Years are some of my current favorites. When it comes to classical, I love orchestral music. Lately I’ve been enjoying the orchestral music of William Walton and Debussy. Have you heard the film score to “Scaramouchie” by Victor Young? It’s absolutely terrific. When it comes to my all-time favorites. I am always in the mood to listen to Music for 18 Musicians, Appalachian Spring, and Mahler 9.

I compose because it is my best creative outlet. I enjoy performing, but I have so much music of my own, that I have to write it down. Some music, especially commissions, are written for others and have audiences in mind. However, a lot of my music is written just for me. It's a fine balance in serving the audience and being a creative outlet.

Dan: As an Executive Director of an orchestra, a composer, and a percussionist, how do the various aspects of your career inform each other? What aspects of your job do you like the most?

Tim: I think that each of those jobs feeds the other. Being a percussionist taught me so much about music. Half of the time you (as a percussionist) are sitting in the back of the orchestra doing nothing. For me, those rehearsals where I was often tacet were an opportunity for me to watch and learn about each of the instrument sections and how they work. This was really my first education in orchestration as a composer. Being a composer introduced me to the business side of our industry. I was applying for grants, contacting other musicians and learning all about project plans and budgets. Eventually that knowledge led me to working in arts administration. Having had time performing and composing, I have a good grasp on the life of the musicians. I have a deep respect and great pride for the musicians in my orchestra. Now that I have worked with orchestras from the administrative side, I have more of an understanding about what conductors and orchestras need from a composer. Performers, administrators and composers are all part of this ecosystem, and each one is a critical part of the puzzle.

As an Executive Director, one of the things I like most is being able to have an impact on my workplace. We work incredibly hard trying to be creative about the orchestra experience to draw in new audiences. There are a lot of great ideas coming from our musicians, the Board of Directors and the staff. Right now, no ideas are off the table. We are trying to build something really different here.

Dan: As a musician and as an artistic administrator, you sometimes work with living composers. Do you have preferences for certain aesthetic orientations or styles in new music? What does this imply for your thoughts on programming?

Tim: As an Executive Director, my job is to oversee the business operations of the orchestra and to help facilitate growth for the organization. As a composer, I am thrilled that the spectrum of music is so varied today and I find that very fascinating. There is a delicate balance for an organization between performing what they think will sell and programming what is artistically important. I have a great music director, Vladimir Kulenovic, who shares the same beliefs I do. We work very hard to program a season that is artistically relevant while being aesthetically pleasing. We oftentimes program what we believe is best for the audience and the orchestra, sometimes that is contemporary music and sometimes it’s not. This season, we are celebrating the bicentennial of Illinois and we felt it necessary to recognize our amazing living Illinois composers, including female composers. We are fortunate enough to have amazing composers like Augusta Read Thomas and Stacy Garrop here in Illinois that we can work with. Not only does this concert feature four living composers, but we have also included the show stopping “La Mer” by Debussy. It's a good balance of new music mixed with an old standard. I would like to see orchestras able to perform more contemporary music; it is where our industry needs to go. The industry as a whole is trying to figure out how to respond to the needs of our audiences and it’s important for audiences to be vocal about what they want.

Dan: That leads well to my next question. In what ways do you think orchestras in general could collaborate with contemporary composers that would enhance the new music scene and its reach to audiences?

Tim: Collaboration is good for both sides, and I’m always happy when it works. We have a composer-in-residence here at the Lake Forest Symphony, and it has been a great way to educate audiences about what composers do and classical music in general. We have also started a chamber music series called the Salon Series that features Symphony musicians performing the music they want to play. These intimate concerts have been incredibly successful and blend a variety of styles from world music to baroque to jazz. This model is something I think other organizations can follow and we plan to expand. In this series we’re able to introduce audiences to a variety of styles. One of the critical pieces of this series is that it is not in a concert hall. We are able to use a variety of spaces for performances that will engage audiences.

In addition to composers-in-residence, we would like to find a way to provide orchestral readings for composers in Illinois. This is a situation where we are all in support of the program, we just need the sponsorship or financial support to do so.

Dan: Well, thanks, Tim, for your interesting perspectives as a composer and executive director. I learned a lot from you! Thanks for talking with me.

Tim: Thank you!

The Muse in Music - Boris Brott on New Music, Bernstein, and Stravinsky

By Dan Perttu

For this blog post, I am delighted to interview conductor Boris Brott.

Maestro Brott is one of the most internationally recognized Canadian conductors, holding major posts as Music Director and Principal Guest Conductor in Canada, Europe and the United States. He enjoys an international career as guest conductor, educator, motivational speaker and cultural ambassador.

Currently, Mr. Brott is Founding Music Director and Laureate Conductor of the New West Symphony, California, Artistic Director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra, Montreal and Principal Guest Conductor of the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari Italy. Maestro Brott is Artistic Director of Brott Music Festivals, which was established in 1987, as Ontario’s principal classical music festival and is home to the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Canada’s unique professional training orchestra. Internationally, Mr. Brott has served as Assistant Conductor to the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, and as Music Director and Conductor for the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden (two years), and Northern Sinfonia (five years), and the BBC Welsh Symphony (seven years). In addition, Mr. Brott’s extensive guest-conducting appearances have been in Mexico, the United States, South America, Central America, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Scandinavia, Japan, Korea, Israel, the Netherlands.

Dan: My first question is what music inspires you as a conductor? Particularly, what contemporary music inspires you?

Boris: Well, I like a lot of contemporary music of various kinds. I really believe that a conductor has a responsibility to perform music of our own time. I must say I have a penchant, if you will, for dramatic works. They are colorful and use the orchestra and instruments to their maximum advantage with extra musical or instrumental techniques. From my perspective, it is the color in the language that interests me and inspires me. The music can be of a non-descriptive nature. That is, it is not necessarily program music. But having a program doesn’t hurt either.

Dan: When you talk about “color,” are you talking about orchestration or timbre?

Boris: That, and the color of the music on its own. Piano music has color, too. But I must confess that orchestrated music interests me more.

Dan: Absolutely.

Boris: And these days, I’m doing a lot of opera. The use of the human voice in an effective way is also fascinating to me. Finally, I also am interested in music that involves different cultures. We were always interested in diverse music in Canada because we’ve always prided ourselves in being a multicultural society. I think it has worked, probably best, in Canada than all of the other places I can think of. The political framework of this country has encouraged cultures beyond white, European ones in our own midst. Now there’s a tremendous explosion of interest in music of First Nations. I find the music fascinating, and I program and commission it.

Dan: That sounds like a wonderful perspective. I know many people in the United States share your values, yet it’s not always apparent to the outside world that we do. However, I really like learning more about your Canadian perspectives.

Boris: I have spent time in the United States, so I am well aware of the plethora of the interesting and effective music being written. There is so much music being written today that composers have a great desire to voice their expression in writing, and in writing for orchestra particularly.

Dan: It’s wonderful on the one hand, but there’s so much new music. How do you sort

through it? How does the “good stuff rise to the top,” so to speak?

Boris: That’s often tricky and difficult because reading a score is a laborious process. It’s much more difficult than reading a novel. To hear what is on a printed page is a process. You can’t just peruse it; it’s not fair to it to peruse it. And often, the electronic means of realizing the score, albeit better than nothing, doesn’t allow you to hear the humanity in the sound, if you will. MIDI sampling is still rudimentary by comparison. Some composers are willing to go to that trouble, and quite honestly, I appreciate it because it’s a great shortcut for me in reading a great number of compositions. Otherwise, I’d be influenced only by people I know, or people I know of, as opposed to new people I’ve never heard of.

Dan: Of course! This actually brings me to my next question. Do you have preferences to specific aesthetic orientations or styles? What does that imply for your programming? It sounds like your programming is very diverse, but I am curious to follow up a little bit on that.

Boris: I was involved in so many orchestras where a lot of contemporary music was performed. I have a very eclectic palate, if you will. I feel like, in a way, a conductor is like an actor. We put on a cloak, and that cloak is the composition we are performing. And, you enter into the spirit of that composition as much as possible. From my perspective, it's a joy to do that, to discover new aesthetics. I would hesitate to choose a particular aesthetic, or say I really like this type of music. I know I don’t personally like some music. To be honest, I feel the Second Viennese School was a big mistake. It really didn’t add anything. On the contrary, it took a lot away. On the other hand, this you might find strange: if I go back to some of the scores of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, I do feel real tension and release. I also feel a real diatonicism, even though it’s not really diatonic. There’s a real sense of harmony within it. It's not really foreign. After all, what I think music is about is creating a tension and resolution.

Dan: That’s very interesting. I agree with some of your thoughts on aesthetics as well. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve picked up on some tension and release in some serialist music, but I can’t say I always listen to it by my fireside.

Boris: No! The problem is this language has not yet found a real audience of any number of people. And one, as a conductor, is always balancing one’s program against the need to have people listen to it. You need to sell tickets for people to come. I don’t really care if they buy tickets or not, but I want them to come. It doesn’t make sense to perform music in a hall for very few people. I try to program in a way and find auditorium sizes appropriate for the amount of interest I think will generate. If, for example, I’m going to do a concert where even some of the music is going to be very difficult for a “normal audience” to listen to, I will go to a smaller hall.

Dan: That’s understandable.

Boris: I want it to be filled. To play to 100 people in a 2,000-person auditorium is soul destroying for anybody, including the people who came there. Dan: Oh, yes. At the college where I work, we always worry about these issues too. Boris: And I think you know the other part of the issue. As a music director of an organization, you are constantly called in to bring in audiences and justify your programming based on the audiences it obtains. For many years, I was associated with broadcasting orchestras. I was the Director of CBC Winnipeg Orchestra and Music Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Now, of course, the rules there are very different. And the masters you were serving had very different gains and objectives. And in many ways, it was very refreshing. They wanted you to take chances. They wanted you to play new music. They wanted to hear old music that hasn’t been heard before. It was an interest outside of attracting an audience.

Dan: Sure.

Boris: And that was very liberating for me. I could do all kinds of things. In fact, I was encouraged to bring in new thoughts, ideas, and aesthetics. Now, when you’re running an orchestra that is balancing a budget, it’s a different story.

Dan: Of course. Along these lines, I was very curious to fold in your international perspectives on some of these things. I understand you’ve conducted in Italy as well, right?

Boris: Yes I have. Quite a lot.

Dan: As far as programming is concerned, are audiences’ interests in music different in Canada as compared to America or Italy?

Boris: Well, I can’t give you much perspective on that. Except, I was really shocked when I started doing concerts for young people in Italy. In the birthplace of Western music, if one could say that, there was so little information being given to school children. And they absolutely had no idea of any “art” music. They knew pop music, and to some extent, Italian film music. But they had no knowledge of art music at all. From the standpoint of audiences, I think it’s very similar. There is a smaller group of people who are interested in new art music. I would say, in the major sense, I’ve had the pleasure of performing it and getting to know there is a significant interest. I think those pockets exist almost everywhere in the world -- certainly every country I’ve been in. I couldn’t really contrast this any one way or another. I don’t find there’s a greater or lesser interest to this type of music across Europe. Is it a large audience? No, it’s not. But then again, was it ever intended for a large audience? Even if you go back historically to Baroque music, it was intended for a very small percentage of the overall public. It was not a mass media by any means, and it still isn’t.

Dan: I’m not entirely surprised by this.

Boris: Now, it must be said that what I’ve been doing in Italy is mostly opera, and what I’ve been asked to do is more in the realm of 19th-century Italian opera. The Italians are very loyal to their own and very interested in their own. They’re not as much interested in anything else. Certainly in the opera houses. They’re quite happy to hear Rossini, Vivaldi, and all of the Italian composers. Certainly the audience is less interested even in German or French music for that matter.

Dan: So, with respect for contemporary music, how would you characterize the aesthetic trends currently, from your perspective. We talked a little bit about the second Viennese School and the influences that they had on the 20th century. But in the music of today, a lot of people have different views on what the actual trends are going on right now.

Boris: Well, I think the beauty of it is that it’s so eclectic. People are able to develop their own voices. For example, I enjoy compositions that celebrate the music of the First Nations, and many are celebrating them in a very contemporary way. Sometimes they include improvisatory elements, or they bring in musicians who were not necessarily trained in the “Western” tradition. These musicians bring in their own insight and creativity.

Dan: Yes, I love music that uses performance practices from different cultures.

Boris: Also, for the last few months, I’ve been very involved in Bernstein's music because of the 100th anniversary of his birth and because of my relationship with him as his assistant in the late 1960’s. In some of Bernstein’s music it was hard at first to discern the themes, and at first I couldn’t see a language that was identifiable in his music. Now, looking back, I definitely see the language. The benefit of 50 years is huge. Dan: When I think about Candide and Chichester Psalms, I can latch on to themes in those. But when I think of some of the other works, it requires more concentration.

Boris: The sixth interval is there so much, and his way of combining polytonality and jazz is so compelling. All of that stuff is there regardless of what you’re listening to, whether it’s the Jeremiah Symphony, Candide, or whatever.

Dan: That’s true. Boris: Yes! It is now, but it wasn’t so obvious when I first got to know it. It seemed so different. I just did West Side Story last week in an orchestral version. When you just listen to the music, you hear so much of the influence of the Jeremiah Symphony. There is a voice that is Bernstein. You need to have perspective on a lot of music by an individual to be able to identify that voice. In my programming, I like to latch on to a specific composer and then do a lot of his or her works in a given season. I find that provides a more interesting perspective for the audience.

Dan: That’s interesting. So, on the one hand, even if you don’t have a wide diversity of people in that season, you gain depth in conveying it to the audience. They become more familiar with that composer and even build a relationship with their music. Boris: And also, as a conductor, I build a relationship with them. I like to think that in some way, shape, or form, I would have loved to have been a composer, but I never had the courage. So, through my existing relationship with composers, and helping them perform their works, I contribute to the composer’s creative process. It’s almost a team effort. Dan: Yeah! That segues nicely into my last question, in what ways should conductors interact with contemporary composers and what does this imply for programming in the future. You’ve already answered some of that. Do you have anything to add?

Boris: I think if you have a need to create, you should create. You chose and have a particular voice. As a conductor, you choose a particular creator, or group of creators that you like. And you do a lot of their music. In performing it, you will also become involved with the writing of it. There are very few composers I know who say, “Look. This is what I’ve written. Just do what I say and don’t contribute to it.” That said, with my relationship to Pierre Monteux, I can reach back. I did know Stravinsky. He certainly didn’t like people monkeying with his works in any way. You either did it his way or forget it. But I think that was the only person.

Dan: And, if a composer wants to continue working with a conductor, then he or she shouldn’t have that kind of a closed attitude. As for Stravinsky, that was a different time, but he also had the fame behind him to do that too.

Boris: Yes, and particularly at the time when I knew him. It was around the 50th anniversary of the Rite of Spring.

Dan: Most composers that I know are very interested in the collaborative part of bringing a piece to life.

Boris: And I like that very much! It allows me to be involved without exposing everything, as I feel I would if I were writing music that was solely my own. So, instead, I can influence in a positive sense as a conductor, but the composition is written by others.

Dan: And it’s a living art form. As you say, the performers bring it to life. You have to have the wonderful, creative performers. Well, those are all of my questions for now, though I would love to follow up with you more some other time about Bernstein. But for now, thank you for your time. I appreciate learning your perspectives on these issues!

Boris: Thank you!