Arts Entertainment
king The Baton
Young Israeli conductor opens the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra summer
concert season at Meadow Brook.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
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England. I've had experiences with
strong rain and unbearable heat, but
that keeps me on the ball."
Volkov gets the musical ball rolling
with each new orchestra by making a
point to use a bit of humor and kind
words. He's done that with the New
York Philharmonic, the London
Philharmonic, Sweden's Gothenburg
Symphony and the Scottish Chamber
Orchestra, among many others.
"Since I'm at the beginning of my
career, most of the time I'm with
orchestras that I haven't been with
before," the maestro says. "There's
always the tension of the first rehears-
al, but usually I have a
good experience.
"For the first half
hour, I try to let the
orchestra just play so
there is a feeling that we
are listening to each
other and getting to
know each other before
we get into the details."
t an aig when many young
men are still deciding what
to do with their lives,
Israeli-born Ilan Volkov is
leaving one prestigious post in classical
music for another.
In between serving as assistant con-
ductor of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra and stepping into the post
of chief conductor of the BBC
Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the 26-
year-old Volkov will take the baton for
the opening concerts of this season's
Meadow Brook Music
Festival.
He'll lead the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra in
the first two concerts of
its summer season on the
grounds of Oakland
University. Both pro-
grams will spotlight vio-
linist Leila Josefowicz.
"The Dances of
Spain," which begins 8
Conducting Career
p.m. Friday, July 12,
Volkov has been getting
includes Chabrier's
to know his way around
Espana, Chausson's
music since he was 6
Poeme, Ravel's Tzigane
Ilan Volkov: Making
and De Falla's Three-
classical music available to years old, when he start-
Cornered Hat. The
as many people as possible. ed playing the violin at
the encouragement of
Grupo Espatia dance
his father, a pianist
company of Farmington
whose career started in Russia. The
Hills contributes some fiery flamenco
then-youngster continued his violin
to the program.
lessons with Chaim Taub, leader of the
"Boldly Beethoven," which begins 8
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, while
p.m. Saturday, July 13, includes the
also
studying piano and composition.
composer's Coriolan Overture,
Volkov took up conducting at the
Symphony No. 8 and Violin Concerto.
Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem
"It's nice that the programs are very
from 1991-93 and then went to the
different styles of music because it's
Royal Academy of Music in London.
nice to have different things to do in
He's been working as a conductor
the same week with the same orches-
since his early teens.
tra," says Volkov, who is making his
"I loved the repertoire for orchestral
debut with the DSO.
music more and more, so conducting
"I think it's important for classical
music to be performed outside because seemed just natural," he explains.
Appointed "young conductor in asso-
that helps make sure that classical
music is available to as many people as ciation" for the Newcastle-based
Northern Sinfonia in 1995, when he
possible. I've done a few concerts at
was only 19, Volkov went on to become
Tanglewood, [the Boston Symphony's
principal conductor of the London
summer home in Lenox, Mass.], and
Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 1997.
I've done a few outdoor concerts in