As a lover of both classical music and hockey, for me the
fall season is a great time of year. And in the case of both the Rochester
Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo Sabres, there
may be plenty about which to cheer this season.
It is clear to me that the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
is an organization in the middle of a rebuild. In the wake of former Music
Director Arild Remmereit’s
turbulent tenure and subsequent firing in January 2013, the RPO has spent the
last two seasons without a consistent maestro at the podium, subsisting instead
with a revolving door of guest conductors.
With Ward Stare formally announced as music director in the
summer of 2014 and now entering his first full season with the orchestra, I’m
reminded that the Sabres (my hometown team) of the
National Hockey League are also poised for a turnaround year following a
disappointing period of uncertainty.
Admittedly, the analogy between the orchestra and the sports
team is far from perfect. The Sabres have finished in
last place league-wide for two consecutive seasons, while the RPO continued to
put out a quality product during an uncomfortable period of transition. Tim
Murray was brought in as general manager of the Sabres
to revitalize the organization, while RPO President and
CEO Charles H. Owens has been present throughout.
Compared to the numerous lineup shakeups for the Sabres – see the recent acquisitions of forwards Evander
Kane and Ryan O’Reilly and goalie Robin Lehner and
the departure of mainstays like forward Drew Stafford and defenseman Tyler
Myers – changes to the RPO’s core personnel are much less frequent.
All that said, in focusing on Stare’s leadership role for the
RPO and the distinctive responsibilities he will shoulder, the comparison
between orchestra and team becomes relevant. Stare is obviously like Dan Bylsma, the newly appointed head coach of the Sabres entering his first season with the team. Bylsma brings a proven track record of success, having
previously won a Stanley Cup championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Stare
effectively led the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as resident conductor from
2008 to 2012, has guested with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Dallas and
Houston Symphonies, among others, and has conducted at Carnegie Hall.
Bylsma was an NHL player for parts
of nine seasons, so he understands the game of hockey from his team’s
perspective. Stare began his career as principal trombonist with Lyric Opera of
Chicago. And like Bylsma, Stare will set the style of
play he wants to see from his personnel and choose a game plan – in this case,
an approach to the compositions he selects – that enables his players to
perform at their best.
While it is too early to tell exactly what style of play Bylsma’s squad will possess, it is already clear that the
identity of the RPO under Stare will be an adventurous one. This season’s
programs emphasize the performance of contemporary compositions by the likes of
Stephanie Berg, Patrick Harlin, and Aaron Jay Kernis, as well as underperformed works by important
composers such as Benjamin Britten, Richard Wagner, Samuel Barber, and Ralph
Vaughan Williams.
But why Bylsma’s job is firmly
“behind the bench,” Stare is more of a player-coach, since his performance is
inextricably linked to that of his teammates in the orchestra. But which Sabres player is Stare most like?
Enter Jack Eichel, a highly touted,
dynamic center out of Boston College who was drafted second overall by the Sabres in this year’s NHL draft. Eichel
is frequently referred to as a “generational talent,” a player whose speed,
puck control, and ability to dictate the flow of the game with his play have
him poised to lead the Sabres for years to come. He
is already the “face of the franchise,” without having played a single NHL
game.
Stare’s conducting style is fluid, controlled, and
articulate, and he possesses an excellent rapport with the RPO musicians. It is
apparent that he is the “face of the franchise” for the RPO, the talented young
musician one hopes will help the orchestra establish a signature sound that
will resonate for many seasons to come.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2015.
