Last year I made the decision to take a break from conducting over the summer of 2017. The previous few seasons had been exhausting as I flew constantly back and forth between New York, Jacksonville and other cities. A conductor’s primary task is to inspire orchestras and I was aware that the well from which such inspiration is drawn was beginning to run a little low. So between the end of May and September I conducted only one week and spent time in Madrid and Barcelona, two of my favourite cities. My plan worked, and I find myself restored and tremendously excited about the season ahead with the Jacksonville Symphony. We really do have an embarrassment of riches this year with some of my favourite

Continue readingWhite-hot conviction propels Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony

Last week we ended the Jacksonville Symphony’s Masterworks series with three performances of Mahler’s soul-stirring Second Symphony. It was a thrilling way to end an ambitious season. Throughout the week’s rehearsals, I was inspired by just how much fun the musicians were having playing this great music: at his best Mahler seems to understand exactly what it means to be human, with all the emotional ups and downs. It was my first time conducting the piece, making the week that little bit more intense. The first time conducting a work is especially challenging, particularly if it’s one you’ve loved for years and that everyone knows well. No matter how much you’ve studied, nothing prepares you for the surprise of feeling and hearing the piece unfold

Continue readingJumping off a cliff – the first time with a masterpiece