Sean Gasser, courtesy of Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
Maestro Adam Johnson, newly-appointed Music Director of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
Society’s interest in differing musical genres tends to wax and wane as tastes shift from one generation to the next. Jazz is still beloved worldwide, but arguably has never been so popular as during the Jazz Age of the 1920s. Alternative rock hasn’t gone anywhere, but its mainstream following receded a bit at the end of the 2000s. The grandfather of both these genres and countless others, classical music, has arguably faced and overcome the greatest challenge, maintaining its relevance from the days of parlor performances well into our current era of digital streaming services like Spotify.
How then does a musical genre often still associated with powdered wigs and pantaloons continue to grab audiences in 2023? It is largely thanks to organizations like the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, which remains committed to delivering the magnificence of the classical canon in the form of regular, accessible, live orchestral performances. BRSO has recently welcomed a new Music Director, Maestro Adam Johnson, whose “charismatic and commanding presence” as a conductor and extensive experience—including conducting the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal—promises to help the BRSO maximize its reach.
As we head toward Symphony Week, when free performances will be offered throughout Baton Rouge from August 6–10, we asked Maestro Johnson a couple of questions about how he hopes to share his love of classical and orchestral music with the capital city.
"The power, brilliance and emotions contained in a symphony by someone like Beethoven touch on deep aspects of the universal human experience, so rather than being distant, the music is very relevant to each of us." —Maestro Adam Johnson
What do you hope to accomplish as Music Director of BRSO?
With the orchestra I want to create truly extraordinary musical moments that are inspiring for both the audience and for us on stage. By going beyond excellence through a deep love for both the music and the people we are sharing music with, I feel we can create something special.
Why do you think it's important that classical and orchestral music are carried into the future, and how do you think this type of musical performance can best be continued, in Baton Rouge and beyond?
Great music transcends the time and place it was conceived, reaching us here and now. The power, brilliance and emotions contained in a symphony by someone like Beethoven touch on deep aspects of the universal human experience, so rather than being distant, the music is very relevant to each of us. We can come away from experiencing great music with renewed energy and perspective. The orchestral repertoire is so vast, drawing on hundreds of years of compositions by hundreds of exceptionally gifted creatives from around the world, and it's also an artform that continues to thrive today in many different styles, so it's important to give people access—we can't love what we don't know! For the best music to continue to live it requires performances that light up the audience; we at the BRSO are here to serve the city of Baton Rouge and beyond with thrilling concert experiences and meaningful music making.
