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The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
NEWS OF NOTE
Gonzalo Farias, a native of Chile, is the BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellow.
Roland Lim Photography
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Gonzalo Farias is at home in the hall
When Marin Alsop was rehearsing Mahler’ s Sixth Symphony with the BSO last fall, she came to the part where cowbells are heard offstage. She wanted to see how it would sound to have the percussionist ring them from the second floor balcony. She asked Gonzalo Farias to help make that happen— not only secreting the percussionist to the designated spot on cue, but making sure that spot worked acoustically.
“ During rehearsals I move around to different parts of the hall to experience how people hear the music from their seats,” says Farias, this season’ s BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellow. Later, he will go over his notes with Alsop, often helping her to adjust balance.“ You can’ t tell when you’ re on stage how people in the audience hear it,” he points out.
The Fellowship is designed to train students for the role of assistant conductor, says Farias.“ You have to prepare for everything,” including, he says, stepping up to the podium if the scheduled conductor can’ t.“ That’ s very scary,” he says,“ especially if you don’ t know the conductor’ s interpretation of the piece.”
A native of Chile, Farias, 30, played piano as a child and came to the U. S. in 2004 to study at the New England Conservatory and then at Peabody, where he expects to receive his graduate conducting diploma. He hopes to join an orchestra as an assistant conductor, eventually finding a post as a music director.“ When you work with an orchestra, you have the chance to develop relationships with the musicians and the audience members,” Farias says.“ I’ m looking forward to that.”
Does he have a favorite composer? Farias points to Mahler and Beethoven.“ They were able to step inside the human condition and find some answers about who we are and what we are supposed to do in this world,” he says.
Music Box in Silver Spring
On April 29 at 10 am and 11:30 am, the“ Our Maryland” Music Box returns to the Silver Spring Civic Building. Music Box, OrchLab and BSO on the Go are BSO education and outreach programs in Montgomery County.
For information contact Richard Spero at 301-581-5212 or RSpero @ BSOmusic. org.
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