It's A New World For Symphony Orchestras

Both the left and the right coasts of the US are helping to usher in a new world for symphonic music.

American orchestras have never really been able to make the medium its own. The conductors are almost always European old guys, and the music is heavy on the side of romantic standard classics.

But now, New York and Los Angeles are helping us to embrace the 21st century. Both orchestras have welcomed new conductors this season and I predict they will change the face of American symphonic music forever.

The venerable NY Phil choose to follow aging Lorin Maazel with the 42-year-old, American born, Alan Gilbert. Few people have heard of him although he has built a nice career in Europe. Both his mother and father have played in the Phil so the orchestra felt like he was one of theirs.

The LA Phil went off-shore to shock the work by hiring a fiery conductor of a mere 28 years of age. Gustavo Dudamel has conducted the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in his native Venezuela. If you go to You-Tube, you'll be able to see this intense conductor with his exciting orchestra of kids. They've also cut some CDs that sound like a professional ensemble.

Although both conductors will be a fresh of breath air blowing away the cobwebs of orchestra concerts, my money is on Dudamel for sending a shock wave through the country. He will not only bring a new energy to this never-changing medium, but will also show the US what can be done with youth orchestras. He might bring back public school music education from the near-dead. His opening concert will be on PBS on October 21. Watch for it.

So far the critics have been kind to Gilbert, and absolutely swooning for Dudamel. Let's wait and see how the music world changes in the next few years.