COMMANDOpera is fascinated with conductors, as they constitute one of those rare breeds which by necessity own a significant intellect. One does not include seriously overrated confections who would do well to actually focus on the music rather than photo ops so common in L.A. No. At COMMANDOpera where conductors are the concern, it is gravitas, intelligence, depth, intense musicality, and austerity we seek.
I titled this article with the mans name. It is all that is required. Mr. Nelsons is a rarity on the level of Maestro Gergiev, or Maestro Stokowski, or Maestro Toscanini. While the not yet 32 year old Latvian conductor has signed a second 3 year contract with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (that would be United Kingdom and not Alabama), it will likely be his last. To this mind the question will be whether or not he maintains himself in Europe, or condescends to accept tenure in a North American house. Recently, The Metropolitan in New York engaged the conductor for a series of Turandot, where his brilliant work visibly outshone the vocal artists. Crew Mantle is a man devoted to the vocal instrument, and therefore it follows a conductor must be an extremely well furnished artist to surmount this plateau. I would travel a great distance to watch a performance under this mans baton, such is the respect I have for this conductor, and would advise others to see him under any circumstances possible.
Given the relative youth of the conductor, this is what COMMANDOpera has been able to glean on the young conductor. Mr. Nelsons was born in Riga. His mother founded the first early music ensemble in Latvia. His father is a choral conductor, cellist, and teacher. As a youth, Mr. Nelsons studied piano, and took up the trumpet at age 12. He also sang bass-baritone, with a special interest in early music, in his mother’s ensemble. He studied for one summer at the Dartington summer school with Evelyn Tubb. He served as a trumpeter with the orchestra of the Latvian National Opera. He has also studied conducting with Mr. Alexander Titov in Saint Petersburg, Russia and participated in conducting master classes with Neeme Järvi and Jorma Panula.
Mr. Nelsons came to the attention of Mariss Jansons when he emergency-substituted with the Oslo Philharmonic in their trumpet section during an orchestra tour. He counts Jansons as a mentor, and has been a conducting student with him since 2002. In 2003, Nelsons became principal conductor of the Latvian National Opera. He concluded his tenure there after 5 years. In 2006, Mr. Nelsons became chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie of Herford, Germany, a post he held until the end of the 2008-2009 season.
In October 2007, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) named Nelsons as its 12th principal conductor and music director, effective with the 2008-2009 season. His initial contract was for 3 years. The appointment was unusual in that Nelsons had conducted the CBSO only in a private concert and in a recording session, without a public concert engagement, prior to being named to the post. His first public conducting appearance with the CBSO was on 11 November 2007 in a matinee concert, and his first subscription concert appearance with the CBSO was in March 2008. His earlier conducting work in the UK included studio concerts with the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, and his first BBC Philharmonic concert at the Bridgewater Hall was in November 2007. In July 2009, Nelsons extended his CBSO contract for an additional 3 years, through the 2013-2014 season.
Mr. Nelsons conducts the Russian National Orchestra in Moscow in 2004 at the age of 25. Chopin Concerto no1 3rd movement, Mr. Mikhail Pletnev soloist.
Andris Nelsons
Photo credit: Adrian Burrows
COMMANDOpera is fascinated with conductors, as they constitute one of those rare breeds which by necessity own a significant intellect. One does not include seriously overrated confections who would do well to actually focus on the music rather than photo ops so common in L.A. No. At COMMANDOpera where conductors are the concern, it is gravitas, intelligence, depth, intense musicality, and austerity we seek.
I titled this article with the mans name. It is all that is required. Mr. Nelsons is a rarity on the level of Maestro Gergiev, or Maestro Stokowski, or Maestro Toscanini. While the not yet 32 year old Latvian conductor has signed a second 3 year contract with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (that would be United Kingdom and not Alabama), it will likely be his last. To this mind the question will be whether or not he maintains himself in Europe, or condescends to accept tenure in a North American house. Recently, The Metropolitan in New York engaged the conductor for a series of Turandot, where his brilliant work visibly outshone the vocal artists. Crew Mantle is a man devoted to the vocal instrument, and therefore it follows a conductor must be an extremely well furnished artist to surmount this plateau. I would travel a great distance to watch a performance under this mans baton, such is the respect I have for this conductor, and would advise others to see him under any circumstances possible.
Given the relative youth of the conductor, this is what COMMANDOpera has been able to glean on the young conductor. Mr. Nelsons was born in Riga. His mother founded the first early music ensemble in Latvia. His father is a choral conductor, cellist, and teacher. As a youth, Mr. Nelsons studied piano, and took up the trumpet at age 12. He also sang bass-baritone, with a special interest in early music, in his mother’s ensemble. He studied for one summer at the Dartington summer school with Evelyn Tubb. He served as a trumpeter with the orchestra of the Latvian National Opera. He has also studied conducting with Mr. Alexander Titov in Saint Petersburg, Russia and participated in conducting master classes with Neeme Järvi and Jorma Panula.
Mr. Nelsons came to the attention of Mariss Jansons when he emergency-substituted with the Oslo Philharmonic in their trumpet section during an orchestra tour. He counts Jansons as a mentor, and has been a conducting student with him since 2002. In 2003, Nelsons became principal conductor of the Latvian National Opera. He concluded his tenure there after 5 years. In 2006, Mr. Nelsons became chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie of Herford, Germany, a post he held until the end of the 2008-2009 season.
In October 2007, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) named Nelsons as its 12th principal conductor and music director, effective with the 2008-2009 season. His initial contract was for 3 years. The appointment was unusual in that Nelsons had conducted the CBSO only in a private concert and in a recording session, without a public concert engagement, prior to being named to the post. His first public conducting appearance with the CBSO was on 11 November 2007 in a matinee concert, and his first subscription concert appearance with the CBSO was in March 2008. His earlier conducting work in the UK included studio concerts with the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, and his first BBC Philharmonic concert at the Bridgewater Hall was in November 2007. In July 2009, Nelsons extended his CBSO contract for an additional 3 years, through the 2013-2014 season.
Mr. Nelsons conducts the Russian National Orchestra in Moscow in 2004 at the age of 25. Chopin Concerto no1 3rd movement, Mr. Mikhail Pletnev soloist.