Conversation with the Conductor

In early February, composer Aaron Gervais interviewed Donato Cabrera, Resident Conductor at the SF Symphony and guest conductor for the February 28 SFCMP concert. In the interview, Cabrera discusses the differences between the American and European conducting traditions, the dangers of overspecialization, challenges facing the new music community in the United States, and how he thinks works by living composers should be programmed.

AG: You're an extremely diverse conductor, having led everything from chamber ensembles to orchestras, operas, ballets, youth orchestras—even ensembles performing for silent film. How did this eclecticism come about? Do you find that these diverse experiences as a conductor have shaped the way you interpret music and work with ensembles, or do you find that each setting requires its own musical world, separate from the others?

DC: This eclecticism came about through my desire to create the same experience that a young, aspiring conductor in Europe goes through at the beginning of their career. The education and initial professional opportunities for young conductors have become far too specialized in the U.S. The reason why most of the top American orchestras and ensembles have European-trained conductors at the helm is not because of the exotic accent, it's that they simply have better training for the myriad challenges and circumstances one is bound to encounter as a conductor.

AG: Within the different types of conducting that you do, what are some of the challenges that you seek out, things that you find particularly rewarding? What are some of your goals and aspirations for the next few years?

DC: I seek collaboration and inspiration. I truly believe that if I stay focused on these two things, opportunities will continue to reveal themselves.

AG: Working with so many different kinds of ensembles, you must also have some strong opinions on how to interact with different kinds of audiences. Do you present yourself and/or the music differently for a new music audience like the one that attends SFCMP concerts?

DC: Overspecialization has been a detriment to the arts, not a boon. It has created schisms in our audience that are simply unnecessary. Why can't one concert have a string quartet by Haydn, a symphony by Méhul, a piano sonata by Cage, songs by Nico Muhly, and madrigals by Gesualdo? I would argue that a concert with these very pieces could easily be billed as contemporary. Through our lack of imaginative programming, we have pigeonholed ourselves and our audiences into virtual irrelevance.

AG: I happen to know all the composers on this program fairly well personally (except for Ligeti). It seems to me there are certain common threads that run through their music, such as an emphasis on timbre. Most also have worked substantially with electronics. Do you find your interpretation of these works has changed because of how they are programmed together?

DC: No. While I agree that there are definitely commonalities found between these pieces, my goal is to amplify the uniqueness of the composer's voices, setting them in high relief from one another.

AG: What are your thoughts on working with living composers? Do you prefer to get some guidance from the composer on interpretation, or would you rather work through the score on your own and then incorporate composer feedback as appropriate?

DC: I am always grateful if the composer can be present during the rehearsal process. I remember feeling that it was crucial that John Adams was present for the first musical rehearsals of Doctor Atomic, for which I was the conductor.

AG: It is interesting for me, as an expat Canadian, to see two Canadian composers, Brian Current and Ronald Bruce Smith, giving premieres on this concert. Both have been fairly successful this side of the border and up north. Du Yun, a New Yorker, has been well received in both countries as well. Overall, however, I've found that there isn't a lot of interaction between the U.S. and Canadian new music scenes. What's so different about these composers' music that allows them to cross international borders so well? Do you find there is some unique quality or characteristic about their music that makes it more "international"?

DC: I would guess that the reason that Current and Smith have had success in the U.S. has a lot to do with the connections they established when they came here to study but, more importantly, because they are fantastic composers! I have also found that there is an artistic boundary between the two countries. I don't have an explanation for this.

AG: You've played a leading role in promoting new music in the United States via your work with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble and others. What do you think are some of the biggest successes and failures that the new music community has had in bringing the works of living composers to American audiences? What do you hope to see more or less of in the future?

DC: I am very proud of the fact that I was part of the formation of ACME...I remember coming up with the name ACME on the A-train in New York at about 1:00 a.m., and I immediately came home, wrote an email suggesting the name to my cohorts, then soundly fell asleep. Like many contemporary music ensembles, ACME has been crucial in performing the work of composers that deserve to be heard. One of our original tenets was to present a completely new piece with a work that we considered a modern classic. I think it is crucial to show that today's composers are part of a musical continuum, helping us to better understand our current state through reflections of and comparisons with the past.

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Contemporary Insights: Music and Conversation
Donato Cabrera will conduct Ronald Bruce Smith's Four Movements, and moderate an audience discussion with the composer. Wine reception afterward.
Sunday, February 27 at 4:30 pm
ODC Theater at The Dance Commons, San Francisco
Tickets available at the door ($10 regular, $5 student/senior)
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Tradition, Influence, Evolution
Donato Cabrera will conduct music by Du Yun, Brian Current and Ronald Bruce Smith. Program also includes Ligeti's Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano.
Monday, February 28 at 8:00 pm
Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
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