In Tuesday’s (11/13) Boston Globe, Geoff Edgers writes, “Benjamin Zander, one of Boston’s most prominent classical music figures, is back leading a youth orchestra. Watching him now, one could find it hard to imagine that less than a year ago, his four-plus decades at New England Conservatory came to an ugly end. No rehearsal begins without a speech: ‘We all love NEC,’ he tells the more than 100 musicians, ranging from 12 to 22 years old, members of the newly formed Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, on a recent Saturday afternoon. ‘The tension is over.’ … For most anybody else, building a 117-member youth orchestra from scratch would seem impossible. But the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will debut Nov. 25, in Symphony Hall, with star cellist Alisa Weilerstein as soloist. … Friends, former players, and students in his NEC orchestra urged Zander to start his own ensemble. He resisted, unsure of his next step, though he continued as music director and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Eventually, the Philharmonic’s leader and friends convinced him. … There are a number of long-established youth orchestras in Boston, including the highly competitive NEC Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, under Zander had led, and the Boston Youth Symphony, which is in residence at Boston University.”
Posted November 15, 2012
