Ferrandis Takes The Baton

Musicians, Audience Meet New Conductor In Debut Performance

The Press Democrat    Sunday, October 15, 2006

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON and DIANE PETERSON

Bruno Ferrandis danced his way through his debut concert Saturday as conductor and musical director of the Santa Rosa Symphony.

As he led the orchestra in Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture,” Ferrandis’ hair bounced and his long lanky arms swung gracefully through the air.

Ferrandis, who was selected after a year-long search, officially took the baton from Jeffery Kahane, who led the orchestra for 10 years.

North Coast classical music lovers filled the concert hall at the Wells Fargo Center, eagerly anticipating the beginning of the 79th annual season and a premiere program of Russian favorites.

Many of the orchestra’s musicians said they felt they were in good hands.

During the last rehearsal Saturday afternoon before the season premiere, violinist Kathleen Comalli Dillon said the relationship between an orchestra and a conductor is “kind of like a marriage.

“We got to know each other during his guest appearances this spring. This is the honeymoon. And it’s going well because Bruno is a true collaborator,” she said.

Before the musicians donned their black pants and tuxedos, Ferrandis gave some last-minute advice during and afternoon rehearsal.

“Go for it!” he told a bassoonist.

His long, expressive fingers poked and prodded the orchestra through Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4.”

“No, you are more important,” he called out, beckoning the reluctant woodwinds to follow his lead through the “rhythmic challenges” of the symphony’s second movement.

Concertmaster and violinist Joe Edelberg said Ferrandis “enlivened” the orchestra, and audiences would enjoy watching his fluid conducting.

“If someone moves beautifully and it illuminates the music, that’s always a good thing,” he said.

“He’s all about making art and music, his duty to the composer and to us,” said Dillon. “That bodes well. Even though English is his second or third language he’s an excellent communicator.”

In a pre-concert talk, Ferrandis said he plans to move his fiancee, a French theater actress, and two-year-old daughter to San Francisco by next year.

“I will commute a lot and I will be with you a lot,” he promised. “I need your support.”

Most of this season’s programs were chosen by outgoing conductor Kahane. Ferrandis will demonstrate his musical leadership when he programs the symphony’s 2007-08 season.

He said he plans to conduct Verdi’s “Requiem” and experiment with narrated theater pieces and movies accompanied by live music.

Regular symphony subscribers like Jacqueline Lindenfield of Santa Rosa said Ferrandis demonstrated “artistry, rapport with the orchestra, and a sense of humor.”

John Dinwiddie said he hoped the new conductor would program adventurous contemporary music, in addition to the standard favorites familiar to classical music lovers.

“He has all the [Leonard] Bernstein signature moves. He’s attentive and has an ecstatic awareness of the music. He knows the music backwards and forwards. When he points to a section, he’s saying, ‘I’m glad you’re here.’”