Maestro Everly is also principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
A childhood inspiration was the Broadway musical Kismet. arranged, the overture to Mame. He said,‘ You should conduct this.’ He was so quietly encouraging.
Did you get a stereo for high school graduation? I had a Fisher receiver and Fisher speakers in high school and took them to college. They were huge. They’ d pull the whole thing down if you put them on a bookshelf. They were such high quality at that time, it was a really big deal for me. I treasured those speakers and that receiver, and took them to New York when I graduated Indiana University. Avery Fisher, who started that company, was quite the musician and philanthropist. Avery Fisher Hall became the home of the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.
Did you study music at IU? I majored in piano and set design. When I graduated and moved to New York, I was studying set design with the great Lester Polakov down in Greenwich Village. I was doing both: designing sets for one theater, playing piano for another.
What can you tell people about conducting that they might not know? The non-verbal communication you have with musicians is very hard to explain. It isn’ t just what you’ re hearing, it’ s also what you are prepping for four bars later. You know it’ s coming, you are looking at them to make sure they know it’ s coming.
Orchestra musicians do a different repertoire every week of the year. It’ s one of the hardest jobs. They are consistently having to think ahead, whether they are playing Shostakovich or Richard Rodgers.
Tell us about the upcoming Celtic Celebration. It was my debut here at the BSO. When I did it in 2003, I was asked to incorporate the Irish band of then-Mayor Martin O’ Malley. At the time, I thought, well, okay. I had structured the piece to the n th degree, but somehow I’ ll try to work in the Mayor. It turned out to be really enjoyable. I was sweating bullets, of course. But everyone loved it. The Celtic Celebration is a blast.
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And you’ ll also be doing The Doo Wop Project. How did that come about? About a year ago, we were in New York and went to 54 Below, the night club. They said, it’ s a guy group called The Doo Wop Project. We were just blown away. It’ s five guys and some instrumentalists who have taken the genre of doo-wop singing and not only do the classics of that era, but apply the style to other songs. Some are contemporary, like Sam Smith and Adele. We thought they were so good that we talked to their music director, Sonny Paladino, and said,‘ This would be great in the pops arena.’ So, for the last year, we’ ve been working with them. They’ re just incredible performers. And the audience just eats them up— they’ re so accessible.
Speaking of shape-shifting genres, what do you think of Hamilton? I enjoyed it very much. I was impressed by the genius of it. It would be foolish of me to go on about any reservations I have about it. Do I wish it could be more lyrical and less talky? Yes. As human beings, we really do need to sing. We need to sing, not talk in the shower. But it’ s a brilliant production, brilliant. The original company just blew me away. And to think I was actually interested in the story of Alexander Hamilton. That’ s the shocker: Who knew?
The non-verbal communication with musicians is very hard to explain. It isn’ t just what you’ re hearing, it’ s also what you are prepping for four bars later.
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Do you enjoy the time you spend in Baltimore? I’ ve always loved it here. I lived in New York City for 25 years, and with my appointment to the Indianapolis Orchestra, I thought I should move back to Indiana. In Baltimore, I don’ t own up that I live in Indianapolis. There’ s still that sports team thing. And I’ m not talking tennis.
Baltimore, for me, really is charm city. There’ s so much to be loved here. I’ ve been coming here since I started my career. Hello Dolly and They’ re Playing Our Song played the Mechanic. I conducted a production of Kismet, the show that changed my life, for the Baltimore Opera.
We just did Hairspray in Concert and I can’ t tell you how many people said,‘ You know, I needed to see that right now.’ It takes place in the early’ 60s, and it presents human issues in an entertaining way. And it always gets you thinking.
January – February 2017 | Overture 11