"An American Journey"

Larry Isaacson is a finalist auditioning for the position of Music Director.  Isaacson is a Professor of Trombone and conductor of numerous ensembles at Boston Conservatory. He was Founder, Conductor and Music Director of Boston-based Symphony Nova for ten years. As the only post-graduate professional training orchestra in New England, their mission was to “transform aspiring orchestral musicians into successful arts professionals”.  In 2018, Symphony Nova merged with New England Conservatory’s Entrepreneurial Department and became EM Nova Fellows, allowing their mission to continue for many years to come. Other conducting opportunities include a regular guest conductor spot at the Aspen (CO) Music Festival for 20 years.

Cellist Owen Young performs Antonin Dvořák’s lovely Cello Concerto.  Young joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1991. A frequent collaborator in chamber music concerts and festivals, he has also appeared as concerto soloist with numerous orchestras. He has performed frequently with singer/songwriter James Taylor, including the nationally televised concert “James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre” in New York City.  He a faculty member at Berklee College of Music and is active in Project STEP (String Training and Education for students of color).

Composer Mabel Wheeler Daniels was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts and studied at Radcliffe College.  Larry Isaacson, in his notes for the program, says that her composition Deep Forest “is about the profound experience of what we now call Forest Bathing – spending time in nature and tuning in to the sights, sounds and smells of the world around us.”

Larry Isaacson comments that William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “ also known as his African American Symphony, was a milestone in Still’s career being the first symphony by a black composer to be performed by a major orchestra. The symphony blends jazz, blues and spirituals into a traditional classical form, elevating these styles into something to be celebrated.”