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5 Questions With...
JoAnn Falletta: Conductor
Get to know a Buffalonian
During her 11 years as conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro JoAnn Falletta has not only guided the orchestra to increased international prominence and the first Grammy Award in its’ 74-year history, but has also helped to turnaround the finances of the once troubled organization. Falletta, who splits time with the Virginia Symphony, returns to Buffalo on Dec. 18th to conduct the annual Holiday Pops concert, a celebration of classical and contemporary songs of the season.
Is there one performance that stands out in your mind, as your best ever and what made it so memorable?
It would be difficult to choose one best performance, but certainly the most memorable BPO concert for me was our return to Carnegie Hall in 2004. It felt like a triumph for Buffalo to have our Philharmonic back at Carnegie after an absence of almost 20 years. The orchestra played brilliantly, and I was tremendously proud to be in the middle of that extraordinary team.
Are you confident in the long term financial health of the BPO?
Absolutely! With the inspired leadership of Executive Director Dan Hart and his staff and the unfailing support of our board and volunteers, I know that the future is secure. I have never seen a community that cherishes its orchestra as much as our BPO audience does.
Do certain instruments in an orchestra tend to attract specific personality types?
I am amazed that certain instruments and characters seem to “go together”. Are young people drawn to the oboe or violin or trumpet because of their personality traits? Or does playing an instrument from childhood mold them into a particular personality? It is a mystery I will always ponder!
Besides classical, what artists/genres would we find on your playlist?
Sting, jazz, American musical theatre, Johnny Depp, poetry collections.
Why do you think classical has stuck around while other styles of music have come and gone. Does classical music need a youthful invigoration?
Classical music is always relevant because it is filled with passion, drama, turmoil, beauty, poignancy, nobility and every other emotion that makes up our lives. It is a sound painting of who we are as human beings — and it is endlessly fascinating.
BONUS: If you could choose one contemporary artist (besides Bob Dylan, for whom you’ve already won a Grammy) to re-envision or record, whom would it be?
Paul McCartney
Reader Comments (posting new comments is closed!)
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Janet 10 Dec 2009, 11:05
Since when is she a Buffalonian? There are Buffalonians (actually born and bred) in the orchestra, how about a nice feature?
Ng Ho 11 Dec 2009, 16:57
I guess you can't do enougth to please some people, can you, Janet? This woman has done more for the city in 11 years than most "authentic" Buffalonians do in a lifetime. Good grief.
Patti 11 Dec 2009, 22:57
The only thing this woman is good at is maintaining a positive perception of her own image. Case in point this 'Artvoice' article. If you really were the voice of artists, you would delve a little deeper mention that longevity of the organization is in large part due to the ever present commitment of the 72 musicians who make up the BPO and who live and reside in BFLO and who teach area children at home, in youth orchestras and in schools. Not this 'Buffalonian' who makes 300K per year (not including travel expenses like plane fares and rental cars) to conduct only 15 weeks on average in BFLO. There's alot of dicussion going around about declining ticket sales at the BPO this year. Well, I would suggest to those in charge that if you want to improve sales, you should focus on improving your product and begin by replacing the fake who doesn't create any sound on the podium. Every year that goes by it becomes more evident that she does not live up to her predecesors in the position. She is the longest standing director because no one else will hire her! Buffalo is as far as she will ever get!
Jonathan 21 Jan 2010, 10:30
Dear Ng Ho, Get a grip and learn from Patti's post.
ANNA M. BRETL 23 Feb 2011, 16:17
TO; MAESTRO JOANN FALLETTA, IF YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT AND WHEN YOU DO, YOU WILL BE MISSED, WITH ALL THAT YOU DID FOR THE BPO...AND BUFFALO, NEW YORK...LOTS OF WONDERFUL,GOOD LUCK FOR YOU IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS AND BEYOND.... |
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