Does the field of classical music focus enough attention on its audiences? Pt. 2 with Donato Cabrera

Abspielen

Donato Cabrera is the Music Director of the California Symphony and the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and served as the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and the Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2016. Since Mr. Cabrera's appointment as Music Director of the California Symphony in 2013, the organization has reached new artistic heights by implementing innovative programming that emphasizes welcoming newcomers and loyalists alike, building on its reputation for championing music by living composers, and committing to programming music by women and people of color. Mr. Cabrera has also greatly changed the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s concert experience by expanding the scope and breadth of its orchestral concerts, hosting engaging and lively pre-concert conversations with guest artists and composers, and by creating the Spotlight Concert series that features the musicians of the Las Vegas Philharmonic in intimate chamber music performances. Deeply committed to diversity and education through the arts, Cabrera evaluates the scope, breadth, and content of the California Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic’s music education programs. In the 2020-2021 season, Mr. Cabrera will continue to work with California Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic to give vibrant, high-quality performances in a reimagined way that will keep musicians and audiences safe during COVID-19 restrictions. In March 2020, Mr. Cabrera launched two new online projects to stay engaged with audiences during the Coronavirus pandemic. MusicWise -Conversations about Art and Culture with Donato Cabrerais a weekly interview series presented on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. The Music Plays On is a series on Cabrera’s blog about his favorite performances and recordings.The Question of the Week is a continuation of the question from our episode with Aubrey Bergauer, "Does the field of classical music focus enough attention on its audiences?" Donato and I discuss what a community-minded approach looks like in the concert hall, why classical musicians are like brain surgeons, how classical music has brought him closer to his Mexican heritage, and the lessons he believes we will take from COVID-19. You can find out more about Donato on his website https://www.donatocabrera.com/