Who’s who in the search for a new lead conductor of the PSO?
[dropcap letter=”W”]hen longtime Portland Symphony Orchestra conductor Robert Moody announced that he would step down this spring, after the company’s 2017–18 season, 240 bandleaders applied to fill his podium. Now, the PSO has narrowed its search for a new music director to three finalists. Each will come to town to conduct one classical and one pops show, plus give talks and mingle with concertgoers and supporters. PSO executive director Carolyn Nishon wants someone who excels in front of the orchestra but just as enthusiastically advocates for music in the community. Every aspect of the finalists’ visits, on stage and off, is part of an intensive tryout. “It’s kind of like dating,” Nishon says. “You want to make sure the chemistry is right. You can look at someone on paper, but if I were to decide to marry someone from what’s on a piece of paper, it’s probably not the best idea.”
Maestro
Eckart Preu
Current Gigs
Music director of the Spokane Symphony, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Long Beach Symphony
Nishon’s Notes
Our musicians still talk about an amazing concert he conducted for the PSO back in 2011, a Bruckner symphony. I can remember exactly where I was sitting because it was such an amazing experience. . . . He has these very sweeping motions and just has a presence on the podium.
Critic’s Take
Preu is simply an irresistible visual presence. He is tall and has a wide wingspan, both of which he used with such grace, lyricism, and conducting effectiveness that he brought the music to life right before one’s eyes.
— Knoxville News Sentinel
Accent Mark
During a rehearsal for Preu’s 2011 Portland show, a PSO staffer became alarmed when the podium started shifting precariously under the demonstrative conductor, who nonetheless managed to stay upright.
Program
Pops: ’S Wonderful: A Gershwin Celebration (past show)
Classical: Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube (March 4)
Maestro
Daniel Meyer
Current Gigs
Music director of the Asheville Symphony and Erie Philharmonic
Nishon’s Notes
When I went to see him conduct in Asheville, the city felt like the Portland of the South. And what I saw was that the audience there just adored him. He not only has an incredible understanding of how an orchestra our size operates but also speaks so eloquently to the power of music.
Critic’s Take
With dynamic gestures and a stylish demeanor, [Meyer] exacted a balanced, rhythmically vibrant, and richly blended sound from the orchestra. . . . Visually, his conducting is an exact replica of the music, so the orchestra’s scrupulous response was no surprise.
— The Birmingham News
Accent Mark
When Nishon went out to dinner with Meyer after a show in Asheville, she was struck by what a community fixture he’d become. The conductor was frequently interrupted between bites by approaches from excited locals.
Program
Pops: Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway (April 21–22)
Classical: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (May 13)
Maestro
Ken-David Masur
Current Gigs
Associate conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and co-artistic director of the Chelsea Music Festival
Nishon’s Notes
Ken-David’s programming creativity is perfect for Portland — at his music festival in New York, they were combining sound and food and art. And in watching him conduct, I’ve seen a wide array of ways to communicate. He can mix precision and great expressiveness.
Critic’s Take
Masur is not someone to stand passively on the podium and watch as the music takes shape around him. He has ideas and he’s not afraid to use them. Some involve extremes in tempo (very slow or very fast) and dynamics (very soft or very loud), others deal with extremes in interpretation (the more conventional way and his way).
— San Diego Union-Tribune
Accent Mark
Masur studied under his father, Kurt, who served as music director of the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de France and as principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Program
Pops: Oscars’ Biggest Hits (Jan. 13–14)
Classical: Brahms’ First Symphony (past show); Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (March 20)