You meet the nicest people in the music business!

I had my weekend blog entry all planned out on Friday, but things changed over the weekend in the nicest of ways, so with that in mind, I will keep my thoughts originally planned for this week until later, and explain this last minute change now.

A couple of weeks ago, I basically put the wraps on reporting on the Niagara Symphony until closer to the fall when things would ramp up for the new season, with Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk on the podium. However, earlier today I received a lovely email from one of the other candidates for the post, Diane Wittry, thanking me for my kind comments, as she put it, regarding the selection process this season and the final outcome, which I wrote about some weeks ago. Diane writes: "I really enjoyed working with the orchestra. They played with heart and soul and really loved making music together." How true that is. As I mentioned, the orchestra has sounded better than ever this year, and in large part this can be attributed to being on edge as to who the next conductor will be, as you obviously want to be on your best behavior knowing the person waving the baton at you could very well be you next boss.

Now, all the conductors drew inspiration from the musicians in their own way, and without exception, each conductor extracted some pretty impressive playing out of the orchestra, which is why making the final decision was such a difficult process. In truth, no choice would have been a bad one, really, as all four candidates turned out to be exceptional in their own ways.

As for me, I have gotten to know three of the four a little bit over the course of the season, with John Morris Russell, who bowed out of the competion after his two performances, being the first one I met at the end of the last season when he guest-conducted the orchestra. He struck me as a very capable candidate even then, and seemed like an all-round nice guy. I didn't get much of a chance to meet Timothy Hankewich, limiting my impressions to his on-stage persona with the orchestra. But again, he struck me as a pretty good guy possessing a huge amount of talent. I have talked on the phone with Maestro Thachuk several times since he was appointed to the post of Principal Conductor and Music Director Designate of the Niagara Symphony, and we have made a tentative date to meet either when I am in Toronto, where he is now residing, or when he is down here, which is often for the next several months. The more I talk to Bradley the more I like what I hear, so I am coming to expect great things from the orchestra in the seasons to come.

With Diane, outside of a brief introduction to the Maestro (Maestriss?) back in January, I had not had much contact until today when she wrote to me about my blog entries about the competition this season. It was a classy move on her part, and reinforces my feeling Wittry has a very bright musical future ahead of her. Unfortunately, we won't be a part of it. But hey, all of them can't win, and I am sure we'll be pleased once the new season gets underway.

It's funny in a way, I suppose. I sit and write this weekly musical journal, not really knowing who is reading it. But I am constantly surprised by the number of people who do take the time to read what I write, and take the time to let me know they do. I take pride in being as fair-minded as I can possibly be, yet if I have an opinion, I am not afraid to express it. But as with any journalistic endeavour, you have to be careful what you write, and respect those around you and the ones you write about. I like to think I do each and every time I write my blog entry.

So, what's this all come down to? Basically, a humble thank you to you if my blog is part of your regular reading routine. Please feel free to write and let me know your thoughts. Of course, you can always disagree with me; that's part of a healthy discussion on the arts. But I also hope I offer some angles to stories and events others might not have thought of, which ultimately keeps my entries vital and worthwhile reading for you.

Much thanks to Diane, and to you, too. Always write; I look forward to hearing from you!

June 12th, 2010.