The primary time that conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane heard Roomful of Tooth play stay, he was so taken with the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble that he did one thing a bit indiscreet.
After the efficiency, Kahane pulled apart the group’s co-artistic director and shared that he had been named the very first music director for the San Antonio Philharmonic — information that had not but been made public. He requested if the group could be prepared to collaborate with the orchestra.
That’s when he realized that the man he was speaking to, co-artistic director Cameron Beauchamp, is from San Antonio. And he was on board with the thought.
And so Roomful of Tooth would be the first creative accomplice for “Bach: Reflections and Reverberations,” a brand new initiative the philharmonic will launch subsequent season. It’s designed as a deep dive into Bach’s in depth choral works, together with items that aren’t typically carried out.
The brand new music director shared the story on the information convention asserting his gig with the philharmonic.
Kahane, a Los Angeles native who has had a protracted and distinguished profession enjoying and conducting world wide, is a giant get for the orchestra. It’s halfway by way of its second season, although its roots run deep. The philharmonic sprang from the ashes of the San Antonio Symphony, which folded in 2022.
Kahane began coming right here to work with the San Antonio Symphony within the early Nineties. He typically performed with and carried out the symphony, and he stayed in contact with the musicians after it shut down. He carried out the opening live performance of the philharmonic’s present season; that’s when discussions began about the potential of him becoming a member of the orchestra.
“We knew from the symphony days that Kahane was an excellent artist,” mentioned Brian Petkovich, president of the board and performing principal bassoon. “We have been excited to know that he was prepared to come back and conduct. After which conversations simply grew from there. Principally, the chance was there, and it was simply thrilling to see that we have been in a position to make that occur.
“He’s an unbelievable artist, unbelievable musician, unbelievable human being, and it’s simply thrilling information for your entire group.”
Kahane, Petkovich and Govt Director Roberto Trevino have been in a position to hash out the main points of the brand new put up comparatively swiftly.
“We have been very a lot of like thoughts,” mentioned Kahane. “They requested if I want to be the music director, and I didn’t need to suppose very lengthy about it, as a result of I felt such a powerful bond with the musicians and such a deep perception in what they’ve performed, which I believe is de facto fairly heroic and noteworthy when it comes to resurrecting the orchestra out of a really troublesome state of affairs.”
The philharmonic would be the fourth orchestra Kahane has served as music director, following hitches with the Colorado Symphony in Denver, and the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in California.
He has a three-year dedication with the philharmonic starting with the 2024-25 season. He intends to program works drawn from the normal classical repertoire, in addition to new works by a various vary of composers. Subsequent season will embrace items by such up to date composers as Gabriela Ortiz, Jeff Scott, Peter Shin and Sarah Kirkland Snider.
First Baptist Church of San Antonio will stay the philharmonic’s residence base, however it additionally might be performing some bigger works a number of blocks away on the Majestic Theatre. That features a efficiency of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the San Antonio Mastersingers.
The San Antonio Philharmonic’s formidable third season might be its first below the route of Kahane, who additionally will conduct many of the concert events.
Kahane has mapped out a collection of concert events that features two performances in November marking the two hundredth anniversary of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; a January efficiency devoted to the music of Selena; and the April debut of “Bach: Reflections and Reverberations,” a multi-year initiative devoted to the composer’s work and his affect.
The season kicks off in September.
“I believe that we’ll finally have the ability to carry the orchestra to a really, very excessive degree, not simply artistically but in addition when it comes to its profile nationally and even internationally,” Kahane mentioned. “My objective is nothing lower than to see the San Antonio Philharmonic grow to be a serious drive in American music.”
