In Friday’s (1/18) Charlotte Observer, Lawrence Toppman writes, “You measure young maestros’ progress by the sounds their orchestras produce and guest conducting jobs they get. But with Jacomo Rafael Bairos, you must also study his smile. … Catch him with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra—say, in Friday’s KnightSounds ‘Ballroom’ concert—and you’re likely to note a smile of calm contentment. ‘This is the first year I have felt so comfortable in my skin,’ he says at 36. ‘Now, more than ever, I have the feeling that I’m where I should be.’ Physically, he’s about to uproot himself again. Bairos, who’s leading more CSO concerts this year than anyone else, is in his third season here. He’s billed as ‘guest conductor,’ after terms as assistant and associate, and he’s lining up orchestral auditions now. … He still enjoys the tuba, which took him from middle school bands to international gigs. Yet he loves the baton. … ‘Jacomo caught my eye immediately,’ says CSO music director Christopher Warren-Green … Bairos will conduct [friend Sam] Hyken’s ‘The Beatles’ Guide to the Orchestra’ for Charlotte students in March and cap his local career with ‘my zenith’ on April 19: KnightSounds’ ‘American Music Masters and Pioneers,’ featuring seven pieces from the last 85 years. … He’ll lead the Tallahassee (Fla.) Symphony in March and the Amarillo (Texas) Symphony in April as a music director candidate.’
Posted January 23, 2013
