Chicago Classical Music

Today’s guest blogger is Chicago Sinfonietta Music Director and Founder, Maestro Paul Freeman. Maestro Freeman is also the Music Director for the Czech National Orchestra. He writes about what it’s like working on two continents.

Although the Chicago Sinfonietta has enjoyed the virtues of blogging or being blogged, this is my first attempt, so please bear with me. Jim Hirsch, our Executive Director has been asking me for several months to blog. But, because I have been involved in closing the 05/06 seasons for two orchestras, I have been busy to say the least. Jim thought for my first blog that I might want to share with you the basic differences between these orchestras, separated by the Atlantic Ocean, that I fly back and forth to conduct.

Well, it is at times quite demanding to cross the ocean once or sometimes three times a month. The music making is always a joy, and although I sometimes rehearse on the day of my arrival, it is nicer to begin the next day so as to get over the jetlag.

As you may know, the Chicago Sinfonietta is a mid-sized orchestra that uses about 55-60 musicians while the Czech National Orchestra is a full sized ensemble with about 104 musicians. Some works lend themselves to both orchestras, but for the most part, we play different repertoire.

This is fine with me because despite the extra preparation, I get to enjoy both conducting experiences. The Sinfonietta programs are more adventuresome, but by the same token, I can enjoy playing Mahler, Dvorak, Tcaihovsky, Martinu, and such larger works in Prague.

We have taken some premieres to Prague, such as the Maracas Concerto, the Steel Pan Concerto, and the Gould Tap Dance Concerto. In the fall, the recently commissioned work by the Chicago Sinfonietta, “Concertino for Cellphone and Orchestra” by David Baker will receive its world premiere in Chicago and its European premiere in Prague. The Los Angeles Times recently wrote an article about this unusual work.

The basic organizational difference is that the Sinfonietta is governed by a distinguished Board of Directors, and the Czech National is governed by the musicians, very much like the orchestras in London. This makes for a very interesting shift for my brain from time to time, but fortunately Jim Hirsch, the Sinfonietta Executive Director and Jan Hasenhorl, the Czech National Managing Director, are both excellent administrators upon whom I can rely.

As Founding Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, it does my soul good to see how the orchestra has developed over the past 20 years. I have been Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Czech National Orchestra for 10 years. The Sinfonietta has made 12 CD's with me (not bad in today's climate) and the Czech National has made over 80 under my baton. These have been wonderful years and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work and make music with these two extraordinary groups of musicians.

More blogging later,
Paul Freeman

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