You joined OOTS as Principal Guest Conductor in August 2010, how did that come about?
David approached me to guest conduct the orchestra for the 2009 Stratford Proms. We knew each others’ work, and I was very excited to work with the orchestra. It was a memorable concert- the orchestra was very quick in rehearsals, and was not only receptive to what I had to say about the repertoire, but seemed to take the ideas forward with their own creativity and initiative. I was certainly keen to work with the band again, and was so happy when the idea of some kind of affiliation came on the table.
Why do you enjoy working with OOTS? How is OOTS different from other orchestras you’ve worked with?
Orchestra of the Swan is flat out one of the finest chamber orchestras in the county. That’s the first and most important attraction, but I don’t know if that is “different” so much as it is just really good. OOTS has a lot more than just musical excellence going for it, though. It is an organization with a sense of real ambition and purpose, with a rare balance of shrewd and inspirational leadership from Artistic Director David Curtis and a committed and pragmatic board who are completely behind David’s vision. Coupled with this is a wonderful atmosphere within the orchestra- there is a great collaborative spirit between the players and conductors here. Everyone is here because we want to be, it’s a friendly and highly professional vibe in rehearsals, and that spirit of collaboration really shines through in the orchestra’s performances
Tell us about the recordings you’re making with OOTS this Autumn
The Mahler CD in November came about as a lucky coming together of a few threads. We’re recording chamber orchestra versions made by Arnold Schoenberg of Mahler’s first and last song cycles- Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, or Songs of a Wayfarer written before Mahler’s First Symphony (with which it shares several themes), and Das Lied von der Erde, or The Song of the Earth, written late in life, just after he had been diagnosed with a fatal heart condition. Mahler is a composer I am very close to- I conduct his music often and have written about it a lot. I first decided to record Das Lied when I performed the work with the extraordinary American tenor Brennen Guillory a few years ago. Tenors who can sing Das Lied come along about once in a generation, so I knew I had to make it happen. OOTS had already started a series of chamber-Mahler discs for Somm records, so it seemed like a perfect continuation.
The Gal 3rd Symphony we are recording in December is a different kind of “perfect continuation.” I recently recorded the very first-ever disc of orchestral music by Hans Gal with the Northern Sinfonia. Working on that project convinced me that Gal was a major, major voice and the CD we did has done very well. His is very sincere, very melodic, very accessible, but also multi-layered. There are always new things to discover, and it rewards repeated listening. I mentioned my interest in recording the four Gal symphonies to David Curtis and he thought it would be a perfect fit for OOTS. Hopefully this is the beginning of a great voyage for me and the orchestra, as we work to bring these lost works back to a modern audience. I’ve been a really passionate fan of Schumann’s music for a long time, and I recently completed a cycle of all his orchestral music with another orchestra. Gal wrote a very famous book on Schumann, so David and I thought the pairing of Gal and Schumann symphonies would be a perfect project.
When you’re not working with OOTS what other orchestras do you work with – tell us about your ‘other’ life!
I was always interested in conducting from my first encounters with classical music, but when I went to music school, I found the orchestras there very frustrating. Even though I was surrounded by talented people, the orchestras weren’t very good. My version of rebellion was to through myself into my hobby, which was playing rock guitar. I had a lot of memorable experiences as a rocker, but eventually started to fall in love with classical music again when I found the right teacher and the right orchestra. I was quickly reminded of how important it is to have the right kind of leader in front of an orchestra, and started getting interested in conducting again. Some years later, here I am!
Chamber music is my other great love- I suppose this is a part of my background I share with David. I think we both relate to orchestra musicians as colleagues and partners, rather than as minions! I still play in a professional string trio. My wife is also an orchestral musician, so I maintain a pretty immediate sense of what it is like to work in a section and deal with conductors.
I’ve been lucky to work with some wonderful orchestras like the National Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony in the US, and Northern Sinfonia and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Right now, I’m very focused on making the most of my partnership with OOTS- I think we have a chance to do something very important here over the next few years.
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