Waiting For A Maestro

Santa Rosa Symphony Close To Decision On New Conductor

Rating the field as the Santa Rosa Symphony gets ready to select its next music director from six candidates

by Diane Peterson
The Press Democrat, February 26, 2006

These days, conductors need to be supermen -- maestros with magnetism as well as imagination.

For the orchestra, they must uphold a high artistic standard, make efficient use of rehearsal time and understand the orchestra's needs.

For audience members, the conductor should exude a certain amount of sex appeal and charisma, with the ability to elevate a concert into an electrifying experience that generates buzz.

The next music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony would also do well to reach out to the community with engaging pre-concert talks, innovative education programs and fund-raising ideas, allowing classical music here to continue to grow and prosper.

Over the past year, seven candidates have tried out with the symphony. At this point, only six remain: Joana Carneiro, the first candidate to audition, withdrew.

The process has been a fascinating glimpse into the life of the modern conductor, who flits from country to country to cobble together a career. But it's also been a bit nerve-wracking, like a series of blind dates with a string of suitors who may never really show their true colors until after the marriage.

A decision is near: the Santa Rosa Symphony Board of Directors will meet this week to weigh the recommendations of the search committee.

There are three Europeans and three Americans in the running: Christoph Campestrini of Austria; Federico Cortese of Italy, now based in New York; Bruno Ferrandis of France; David Amado of Delaware; Paul Polivnick of Florida; and Steven Smith of New Mexico.

Orchestra members will have a big say in the decision, no doubt. The symphony asked the audience to weigh in as well, by submitting post-concert comments online about each candidate.

An informal survey of Press Democrat readers yielded some interesting insights into how tough the decision will be. Two clear favorites emerged: Polivnick, a dark horse candidate who filled in at the last minute in December; and Ferrandis, the final candidate, who led the orchestra this month.

All six appear qualified for the job. But which of them possesses the chemistry to go from mild-mannered music director to super conductor in a single bound?

Here's a handicap of each candidate, in the order in which they auditioned:

Christoph Campestrini is young (36), enthusiastic and open-minded toward all kinds of music. He also delivered the best Mozart sound of the bunch, with "The Haffner" Symphony No. 35.

On the down side, he was a bit too audible at times, making mysterious noises on the podium. Conductors should be seen and not heard, right?

Two readers felt he had the right stuff for the job. "He has great conducting technique and seems like a convivial and charming guy," said Steve Osborn of Santa Rosa.

Others were less impressed. "He struck me as the ultimate bombastic conductor," said Len Marabella of Santa Rosa. "He literally leapt onto the podium, grinned at the audience, and oozed over-the-top enthusiasm."

Bottom line: A long shot, but never underestimate the "Vienna" factor. The symphony's beloved conductor laureate, Corrick Brown, studied there, and the design of the Green Music Center concert hall is based on Vienna's venerable Musikverein hall.

Federico Cortese, 43, who studied singing as a child and later got a law degree, has an impressive resume, with a stint as assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony from 1998 to 2002.

He offered the orchestra a lyrical musical vision that at least one audience member enjoyed: "He handled the group well and they sounded terrific," said Julie Middleton of Sebastopol. "Besides that he's verrrry handsome and speaks well. I think he'd charm the big funders."

However, for most of our respondents, Cortese came across as cool and detached and didn't leave a lasting impression. None of them made him their first choice.

Bottom line: Articulate and intellectual, Cortese offers an attractive package on paper but was not compelling enough in person to make him stand out from the crowd.

David Amado, 38, was raised in a musical family in the Philadelphia area and currently leads the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in Wilmington.

Extremely articulate and down-to-earth, the young pianist-cum-conductor comes across as refreshingly real and accessible.

Three readers voted him their top choice, praising his pre-concert talk, his program and connection to the orchestra.

"He seemed well informed about Santa Rosa and our symphony," said Pat Moehlman of Santa Rosa. "And I liked what he had to say about furthering music education."