Three candidates await choice for new director

The contenders showed their individuality with much musical flair.
By TILL M. and LAURA S. MEYN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENTS
YOUNGSTOWN -- No matter how stressful your last job interview was, chances are it didn't compare with the interviews recently conducted by the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra in choosing its next music director.
On May 31, June 6, and June 9, Youngstown welcomed three very different candidates to town -- not only to interview, but also to conduct one rehearsal with the orchestra, to give a preconcert talk to the Youngstown audience, and then to lead a preview conductor concert with a set program in Ford Family Recital Hall.
The process made for a fascinating concert-going experience for Youngstown classical music fans; along with the musicians, audience members got to put in their two cents by way of submitting written evaluations after each of the three performances.
Musicians of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra have had quite a couple of weeks, too. During what is traditionally their off-season, the players have had to quickly adjust to each conductor's personality and unique musical interpretations, including wildly varying tempos and conducting styles.
Time to decide
Now the candidates' and musicians' work is done, and the search committee's work is coming to a head; the committee -- made up of three board members, three orchestra members, and three community members -- plans to meet within the next week or so, and hopes to have a new music director in place well ahead of the orchestra's 2006-2007 season.
All three candidates are accomplished conductors.
Jonathan McPhee is the music director for Boston Ballet and Symphony by the Sea in Marblehead, Mass., and principal conductor of the Lexington Symphony, among other groups.
Daniel Meyer is resident conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and music director of the Asheville Symphony.
And the third candidate, Randall Craig Fleischer, is music director of Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Anchorage Symphony and Flagstaff Symphony.
Each talks
Each evening began with a preconcert talk; it was in this forum that the candidates' differences first showed themselves to the audience. McPhee used his time to lecture on the music that would follow, using entertaining anecdotes to bring to life the personalities and influences of each composer, and playing musical examples to illustrate his points.
Meyer discussed his own musical career during the preconcert time, and also touched on which skills he believes a conductor should bring to the podium. He then opened the floor to questions, illuminating his position on how orchestras can be involved with the community, particularly when it comes to providing musical opportunities for children.
Fleischer touched on both his personal musical background as well as discussing some of the music that would be performed that evening. He, too, answered audience questions, speaking in particular to his vision for building the orchestra in Youngstown.
While McPhee and Fleischer rarely spoke to the audience during the concert, Meyer gave what he called "running program notes," between pieces, keeping his comments short and entertaining, and showing a very easy rapport with the Youngstown audience.
Although the same pieces were performed on each concert, except one that was a conductor's choice, there couldn't have been a wider gap between their approaches to making music.
McPhee's conducting style was more reserved than the other two; he adhered to traditional conducting patterns, where the other two were more dramatic. His cues were very specific and attentive to the players.
The resulting concert showed his strengths with the romantic pieces, such as Sibelius' "Finlandia"; Brahms' Symphony No. 2, fourth movement; and Mendelssohn's Symphony no. 4, fourth movement. The Brahms and Mendelssohn pieces also showed McPhee's gutsy side in using faster tempos than usual and in selecting a difficult piece for his conductor's choice.
Many styles
Meyer, more than the other two candidates, showed his ability to conquer expertly many different styles in one program. His passion for the music was evident in his gestures, particularly in Barber's "Adagio for Strings," during which he appeared to be dancing in slow motion, his movement and the music so connected as to take on the quality of a meditation.
He demonstrated excellent control of the orchestra in the large pieces as well, using a variety of stances, a precision of cues, and energizing movements that seemed to inspire -- and eventually exhaust -- the orchestra. Their playing betrayed no signs of fatigue, however.
Fleischer also exhibited dramaticism in his conducting style. His strong beat indications created a heaviness in the music, but his exciting gestures, which often deviated from standard conducting patterns, gave an edge to the performance.
In Sibelius' "Finlandia," Fleischer evoked a powerful sound, particularly from the brass section. And in his conductor's choice, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, fourth movement, which he jokingly admitted to having chosen for its cymbal crashes, Fleischer's theatrical conducting style amplified the already dramatic piece.
Anticipation grows
The series of concerts provided a unique opportunity for Youngstown classical music fans and musicians, who relished their roles as critics. The anticipation -- and crowd size -- seemed to grow with each successive concert, with musicians and patrons whispering their observations to each other, as well as recording them on the surveys that board members have stayed up nights reading.
The key, according to one board member, will be to find the conductor who will best fit Youngstown.