A Moment with Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni

I had the pleasure of having a conversation with our Music Director, Jean-Marie Zeitouni. We talked about our overall 2016 Season, and I would like to share his vision in his own words:

I’ve identified five big ideas that I think should be at the core of the programming. And those five ideas: education, opera, American composers- alive and dead, honoring them nurturing them, symphonic cycles, and also hidden jewels or unlucky masterpieces- forgotten masterpieces…being able to hear less familiar works from composers.

I always think of programming like being a chef and making a menu. There are the traditional dishes, some new cuisine that is completely different, and there is also dishes with a new twist on the old recipes.

It’s really like establishing not only a menu for a single night, but you actually do a menu for a whole restaurant. You think about the vegan people. You think about the steak lovers. You think about the people who like new cuisine and the people who like an Asian twist, and it’s really how it’s spread toward the season. But I’m trying to mix it up in a way that it makes sense in the context of any given concert.

Let’s say we have different dishes on our seasonal menu. We have an Orchestra Concert dish, a Mash-Up dish, a Chamber dish, a Presenting Series dish, and an Artistic Currents dish. Then the new music and the different components can be spread among the different dishes.

The Mash-Up Series, of course you can expect that it’s going to be a mix of genres. The Artistic Currents Series at the Dairy, you’re going to be able to expect not only a mix of genres in music but also a mix of art forms. The Chamber music, it’s going to be more traditional. And, the Orchestra concerts, you can be sure that if we play a new work for you, I’m going to give you the tools to appreciate it and to understand it, to put it into the context where it’s complimentary with the other pieces that we’re playing during that evening. It’s always meant to be a coherent experience. — JMZ

From the traditional classics of the genius composers (Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, etc.), to classical music with a mash-up (The Bad Plus, DJ Spooky, Paper Bird), with family concerts, new works (Click! Commission), and way beyond the typical performances (Artistic Currents series curated by Senior TED Fellow and cellist, Joshua Roman), the 2016 season, as Zeitouni calls it, is like a menu from a restaurant that offers a full variety of flavors for your delight.

We have over 30 inspiring performances for you to choose from. I hope you will join us this summer to create lasting musical memories with your friends and loved ones.

For tickets and concert information, please visit COmusic.org.