One of the benefits of giving to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) at a certain level is periodic invitations to things like artist meet-and-greets, which we rarely accept, because they occur post-concert, when we are rushing to our car to avoid the crush. But when the opportunity of “coffee with the conductor” on an otherwise lazy Saturday morning presented itself, I was curious.
When I arrived at 9 am, there were a few people milling around the section of Java’s Café reserved for the event, including two RPO staff and Conductor Ward Stare. Since I imagined we’d all sit and he’d stand and give a talk, I wasn’t in an hurry to sit when no one else was, and went to use the loo. When I returned, Stare was at a table with three patrons, deep in discussion, so I chose another table and was joined by a lovely couple, and we proceeded to have our own chat, waiting for the event to begin. Around 9:30 I became a bit puzzled, but shortly after that, one of the RPO staff brought the Maestro over to our table, which was then expanded to include two other tables, for a total of nine. It was then our “turn” for a conversation with the conductor.
He began by talking a bit about his excitement from this season, which ends shortly, and his anticipation of the next season. It was interesting that when he started enumerating some of the artistic risks of the next season, one man applauded them, while one woman admitted that they had turned her off. You can’t please everyone! The season’s musical progressiveness will reflect the social progressiveness it is celebrating: the 200thbirthday of Susan B. Anthony and the 100thanniversary of women’s suffrage in our country. And when he talked about breaking boundaries, he wasn’t just being metaphorical. He described the genesis for one of the concerts in February that will include “a new theatrical work setting the stories of strong Rochester women, past and present, to music,” written by playwright Mark Mobley. I was certainly intrigued and will be adding that to my calendar, because it’s not in my philharmonic half-subscription. So, while I was initially lukewarm about the 2-week festival in February, which will also include the opera The Mother of Us All, I am now actually looking forward to it! Maybe the unenthusiastic woman will also give it a chance.
One of the patrons asked if Stare was concerned about an aging audience for symphonic music. Stare shared anecdotes of various people at various times in the 20thcentury predicting the imminent death of classical music, and yet it continues not just to survive, but thrive. He did acknowledge some obstacles to engaging younger people, but he is cautiously optimistic, if I read him correctly. He understands the correlation of arts education and audience development – it certainly helps if kids are taught music in school. It shouldn’t be a constant struggle to fund arts in the public schools, and yet…
Once I left the café, I realized how out of practice I am at blogging, because I had forgotten to take a picture of Stare chatting with people. So instead, I ambushed him on the street, which I’m sure he thought was a bit strange. But he was extremely gracious, just as he had been giving up his Saturday morning to talk to a bunch of strangers.
I hope I can convince a few friends to go to the February concerts with me. For more information on the season, visit rpo.org
