|
It has been a year of transition for the Spokane Symphony.
A Sept. 2
concert in Liberty Lake's Pavillion Park marked the first time in 36 years that
the orchestra's longtime concertmaster, Kelly Farris, was not sitting in the first
violin chair.
Instead, William Harvey, a 24-year-old graduate of The
Julliard School in New York, and one of three candidates to replace Farris, served
as the vital link between his fellow musicians and conductor Eckart Preu.
While
the average music patron may not be aware of the influence of a concertmaster,
the position is critical to the success of any orchestra. The concertmaster not
only leads the string section but is responsible for decisions regarding uniformity
and clarity of sound as well as bowing and cues.
"The concertmaster
is the most important person in the orchestra as far as what the orchestra sounds
like," Preu said.
Long before there were symphony conductors,
concertmasters led smaller ensembles, providing interpretation for each musical
piece. By the 18th century, when orchestras began to increase in scope, the responsibility
was considered too immense for a person who was also required to play the music.
Subsequently, the role of conductor was invented and the baton replaced the violin
bow.
Last December, Farris, who also taught music at Eastern Washington
University for 30 years, announced that he would step down from his concertmaster
post. The news set off a nationwide search for a replacement and resulted in a
list of four candidates including Harvey, Daisuke Yamamoto, Milana Elise Reiche
and Mateusz Wolski.
Preu, who took over as conductor two years ago,
talked about the wide-ranging impact of a concertmaster, noting that regular concertgoers
this year "will have noticed a different sound, communication and energy"
with each candidate.
"We're looking for someone who interprets
in technical terms what I say in musical terms," Preu said. "It's about
shaping the music."
Not only does the concertmaster help determine
the tempo and sound of an orchestra, the first violin chair also signals the beginning
of each musical number.
"It takes quite a skill to read the concertmaster,"
Preu said.
Each applicant will be required to play one of the symphony's
"Classics" concerts and an additional show throughout the course of
the season. Harvey has been named the Spokane Symphony's interim concertmaster
and is signed to a one-year contract. The other candidates reside in various parts
of the country and travel to Spokane based on when they have been scheduled to
appear.
Each applicant brings an impressive resume to the selection
process beginning with Harvey who received his master's degree from Julliard and
was also awarded the school's highest honor, the William Schuman Prize. Harvey
served as concertmaster with the Julliard Orchestra in his last semester and has
also performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has also started his
own international outreach program called Music for the People.
Yamamoto
earned his master's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and has played
with the Canton Symphony and the Music Academy of the West, among others. He has
also served as concertmaster for the Kent/Blossom Music Festival.
Reiche
has a master's degree in music from Yale University and has played first violin
with the Minnesota Symphony since 1993. She has also served as concertmaster for
the Bloomington Symphony in Minnesota since 2004.
Wolski won two MSM Concerto
competitions as a student with the Manhattan School of Music. He currently serves
as the concertmaster of the Annapolis Symphony and has appeared in concerts at
venues throughout the world including Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall and London's
Wigmore Hall.
Annie Matlow, spokeswoman for the Spokane Symphony, said
the announcement of the new concertmaster would likely be made in early spring.
For more information on upcoming symphony concerts, call 326-3136 or visit www.spokanesymphony.org.
Click
here to...
Subscribe to the Spokane Valley News Herald
| 
By
Craig Howard
