Photographs courtesy Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
Spanish-born Artistic Director and Conductor Jose-Luis Novo celebrates his 20th season with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) this year. Earlier this summer, from the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina where he has been a resident conductor since 1999, Novo spoke to us about his career, the upcoming concert season, and the future of the ASO.
You are the longest serving conductor of the ASO since its founding in 1962. To what do you owe your longevity? Annapolis has a wonderful community that supports the arts in general and music in particular. When I was appointed, I knew the orchestra had great potential. The orchestra has been growing, getting better and better, and the community has kept showing its support.
How would you characterize the ASO when you arrived compared to today? It had a lot of potential but some challenges. Many leading positions were unfilled. This was good for me because it gave me early input in shaping the orchestra and helping it to get better quickly.
When I arrived, we might have had ten people auditioning for a vacancy. A recent viola position attracted more than 40 applicants. We had to turn people away.
Teaching and encouraging young people have been part of your career. As a conductor, why is that important? This is how I made my career. I was fortunate to have great teachers and mentors. Raw talent doesn’t go anywhere if it is not directed with people who can show you the way.
How do you do this here? The Annapolis Symphony Academy has been one of our biggest successes. Orchestras in the 21st century are often seen as elitist and out-of-touch with the community. For us, the Academy has been a game-changer. We use the talent of our core musicians to teach young people regardless of financial means. This removes the barrier for any social class so we can better connect with the community.
How did your interest in music begin? My father was a pianist. He played every day and chose a Beethoven Sonata according to the day of the month. (He never played #32!) I would listen and turn pages for him. I was touched by the beauty of it. At the conservatory, the piano class was full, so I studied violin. But it worked out perfectly because I got the experience of playing with an orchestra.
When did you know you wanted to be a conductor? When I was little, listening to recordings, my hands would start moving on their own. Early on, I had this connection to music. I was 5 or 6 years old, and I was singing—and conducting—all the time.
Looking ahead to a season, how do you decide what pieces to perform and when? This is one of the most satisfying aspects of the job…thinking long term and encompassing a vision for the orchestra and the audience. For audiences the repertoire maybe was challenging in the past, but it’s what the orchestra needs today as I keep challenging the musicians to get better.
The ASO is performing five concerts as part of its Masterwork Series this year. You’ve introduced the concept of “theme” for each season. Why? Each season has a focus that makes it unique. For example, this season we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Civil Rights Act with music from various ethnicities and people gaining rights they never had before. There will be more variety than usual. Tania Leon’s “Pasajes” will open the first concert. Leon is a composer from Puerto Rico, an African American who is becoming famous.
The goal is always to present the best possible music. But the subject helps us to shape the message and connect with the audience to make music even more meaningful.
The Annapolis audience is sometimes critical of new or avant-garde pieces. You continue to introduce them. Why? And how do you withstand the criticism? Being criticized is not a problem if it is constructive. As an artistic organization, we have to present music from leading composers. If Beethoven was never performed, no one would know him. We need to expose the audience to new symphonic music. That way we enlarge what music means to us. It also allows us to reach new audiences. Young people are attracted to new music because it belongs to their time. Of course, we try to keep a balance for more conservative audiences, too.
Why is performing at Strathmore Music Hall (Bethesda, Maryland) and taking the ASO on tour overseas important? The ASO is becoming known to a much larger audience. Playing at Strathmore regularly and our tour to Spain a few years ago raises us to another level. The orchestra likes performing where other international orchestras perform because it raises us to that standard.
Photographs courtesy Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
You’ve brought world-famous artists to Maryland Hall. Unfair to ask, but who stands out? A difficult question. One that made a huge impact was Midori (the Japanese American violinist). We were surprised she came to play with us because we had not started playing at Strathmore and couldn’t offer that as a second venue. She played the Beethoven violin concerto. It was so incredibly moving. The audience and the musicians were transported to a different place.
Conducting requires physical endurance. How do you prepare? And recover afterwards? I’m ashamed to say I don’t prepare at all. For some reason, I have survived up to now. When you conduct you are doing regular exercise. But I should do more physical work. As for after, it’s more the emotional and intellectual challenge. You have so much responsibility when the orchestra is performing.
What is your role in determining the make-up of the orchestra? The auditioning committee has four musicians and me. We usually agree on the appointment. But no one would be appointed if I didn’t’ think they were a good fit.
Entering your 20th season, what do you dream about having? I dream of having a concert hall in Annapolis that would feature the orchestra at the level it deserves. That’s no disrespect for Maryland Hall. We love performing there. But at the level the orchestra is playing now, Maryland Hall doesn’t offer everything, like the size of the stage. I would love to present the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in a more appropriate concert hall.
What’s ahead? We will be experimenting with how we present concerts. Several years ago, we presented “Dream of America,” Peter Boyer’s composition about Ellis Island with two actors and a huge screen showing immigrants arriving in America. Without abandoning pure symphonic music, we believe this approach will help to engage larger audiences. The bigger vision is to make sure the ASO keeps growing. The orchestra has made an incredible impact on our community. With the Academy and our concerts at Maryland Hall and Strathmore, we now play at Downs Park in Pasadena in addition to Quiet Waters Park. We are exposing ASO to a much larger audience. Slowly and gradually, we want the ASO to reach a wider segment of the community—without ever abandoning the Annapolis that has supported us so generously for so many years.
