Last month, the 47-year-old Ukrainian orchestra conductor Yuriy Kerpatenko was shot dead by Russian soldiers because he refused to conduct a concert intended by the Russian occupiers to demonstrate "the improvement of peaceful life" in his Ukrainian occupied territory. Sadly, the death of Maestro Kerpatenko is not unique. His name will be added to the list of murdered Ukrainian artists as Putin aims to occupy Ukrainian territory and destroy Ukrainian culture.
Read MoreIn March 2020, I received a phone call from American composer John Hennecken asking if I was interested in commissioning a new symphonic work. John's idea was to compose a new symphony that chronicled the global crisis of the pandemic from the foreboding sense that the virus would forever change our lives to the triumphant return to life with family, friends, and of course, in-person cultural events.
Read MoreThe war in Ukraine is a tragedy — the loss of life, freedom, and culture is heartbreaking. As I consider where we are in this conflict — and the myriad of ways in which this conflict could devolve — I have found myself thinking of some of the Russian artists of the past who found themselves in conflict with their own government. I write this in solidarity with all artists who consistently work to shine a light on inequities, the value of freedom and free speech, and who work to be ambassadors of peace.
Read MoreWith upcoming performances of Beethoven's 5th, 6th, and 7th Symphonies with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, I have been doing a lot of research into the life of Beethoven. I wanted to share my top ten fun, shocking, and wildly exciting facts that I learned about his life and work.
Read MoreThe Longmont Symphony has postponed our annual 5th-Grade concert for two consecutive years, which reaches approximately 2,600 5th-grade students in the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD). Our performance is the first exposure to live symphonic music for many of these students. I take tremendous joy in these performances, often wondering how these concerts will impact a young person's involvement with music in their life.
To dig a bit deeper into how public school music education is faring during this challenging time, I reached out to the Fine Arts Coordinator at the SVVSD, Janay Bird.
Read MoreAs we have been making our way through the pandemic, I have found myself wondering: How are ballet companies navigating their way through these challenging times? In many ways, they are faced with even more significant challenges than orchestras. At least orchestras could more or less maintain six feet between players, but there is no "social distancing" in ballet.
Read MoreHaving the humility and desire to learn from our mistakes is one of the keys to leadership. Sometimes the errors are due to a lack of knowledge, a bad habit, or too much stress. And the most damaging pitfalls involve interacting with people the wrong way. Here are my top 5 pitfalls to avoid.
Read MoreTalent, charisma, humor — all traits of "natural born leaders," but can leadership be forged, nurtured, and taught? While talent, charisma, and humor may help a leader, authenticity eats humor for breakfast. And what about empathy — is it enough to show traits like empathy — or is being empathetic, engaged, and "real" the paradigm shift that differentiates good leaders from great leaders? What role does vision play in the success of the leader? And what's the one thing about leadership that goes unsaid?
Read MoreWhen do we move from our current reality to COVID-19 becoming Endemic? I recently learned that it generally takes two to three years. As orchestras across the globe reimagined their 2020-2021 concert seasons and eventually found our footing on digital concert platforms, we were all filled with hope in the early part of the summer that a return to normalcy awaited the musical arts. It is no surprise that the Delta Variant — which cut short several summer music festivals — has continued causing issues for orchestras. Sadly, variances will continue to emerge unless enough people are vaccinated. The biggest frustration for musicians, orchestras, and boards is that this can end now. How? Vaccinations.
Read MoreMusic is a catalyst that deepens the sense of our shared humanity. While I have certainly gained tremendously from having music in my life, I have come to view my role as Music Director & Conductor as less of a lover of music and more as a servant of the music and the community that benefits from our programming. I have discovered that people resonate with this approach because when they experience the awesomeness of the music, they want to become part of a community that elevates greatness.
Read MoreCulture matters in Longmont because the people of Longmont matter. Culture is the story of us. Arts events create a shared experience that strengthens community bonds, fosters new connections, and reinforces our collective identity.
Read MoreClassical music — born of the European tradition — has long had a battle with equality and diversity. I recognize that, despite my love of the classical music industry, work remains to be done.
Read MoreIt is easy for us to fly off the handle at these times. And we all have an excuse: unprecedented world events, a global pandemic, economic downturn, etc. Everything is in so much flux; nobody's life was the same as it was one year ago. When things don't go our way, it is easy to look at others and assign blame. At the same time, we have all seen incredible acts of kindness; Italians were singing together on their balconies, groups have been created to support the vulnerable, and people go out of their way to be kind to one another. I have found that being calm, mindful, empathic, but primarily — KIND — serves to lift us all up.
Read MoreLongmont Symphony Orchestra (LSO) announces the continuation of its digital concert season for most of 2021. Featuring an array of solo concerts by dynamic artists and a chamber-sized orchestra, the LSO remains committed to the local community in a time when innovation is paramount. The public will find favorites such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, and Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony. Other gems that might not be known include Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances and Walker’s Lyric for Strings.
Read MoreEveryone wants to know: How are you doing with your virtual concert series? And, since you only advertised a virtual fall season, will you continue with a virtual spring season?
Read MoreI was fortunate to have been introduced to music at an early age, and I remain thankful for the lessons learned and the many ways these experiences prepared me for life.
Read MoreA great politician once said, "a leader without followers is just somebody taking a walk." One can infer from this statement that leadership requires two things: A leader and someone to follow.
Read MoreIn light of the terrible events that have rocked our nation, I find myself actively listening, learning, and reflecting to become part of the solution to our problems of racial injustice. Additionally, I have begun working on ways to intentionally lift up diverse voices in classical music that is both sustained and authentic to who I am as an artist and the world that I wish to create.
Read MoreHow long will it take for people to have the courage to come back to the concert hall, given our newfound fear of mass gatherings? With concert cancellations a new reality for us all, will subscription sales take a hit in favor of the flexibility of single tickets?
Read MoreMy interest in photography was peaked when a dear friend of mine, Victor Mangona, a pediatric radiation oncologist, offered to take some headshots of me and some fellow musicians. His knowledge of light, composition, subject matter, and ability to get the camera to respond to all of the variables was incredibly impressive to me. Following the photo shoot, I asked him to help me find a camera that could get me started with photography. I went on a few shoots with him — when he wasn't working in the hospital, and I wasn't preparing for a performance.
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