Jeffrey Kahane has stood before the Colorado Symphony on previous occasions, but this season is different. Very different.
Instead of just leading the orchestra as another in its stream of guest conductors, he makes his official debut this weekend – beginning with tonight’s program at 7:30 – as the orchestra’s new music director during three concerts with violinist Joshua Bell.
“Even though I had such a wonderful time (with the symphony) in May, I approached this week thinking, ‘Oh, boy, this is the real thing. This is reality,”‘ he said.
Kahane knows that expectations are different. Rather than merely trying to deliver a compelling set of concerts and going home, he is now the public face of the orchestra and is responsible for its artistic growth and direction.
And he admits he had a few butterflies as he approached his new role.
“I was very nervous coming into this,” he said. “I don’t mind telling you that. There is always the worry: What if I misjudged the situation? What if they misjudged me? We’re all human.
“Of course, there were concerns. And I’m happy to say that they pretty much disappeared within the first two minutes of the first rehearsal, which is a great feeling.
“It was really like, this is where I belong. This is the right fit. This is the right orchestra for me. And I’m the right person for them.”
One of Kahane’s top priorities during his first sets of concerts as music director is to establish an environment in which people of all kinds feel welcome and can enjoy themselves no matter their level of knowledge about classical music.
This is especially important in Denver, he said, because it does not have the long-established classical traditions of such cities as Boston, Philadelphia or even Minneapolis, and many of its residents have little experience with the form.
“They may never have been to a symphony concert in their life,” Kahane said, “and a music director in the 21st century in this kind of city absolutely has to be able to communicate.
“And I think the key is to be able to do it in a way that is genuinely informative, that really teaches people what this art form is, what this music means, and to do it in a way that is respectful.”
Not only does he plan to talk to the audiences during special spotlight concerts and his examination of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 on Oct. 14 and 15. He also plans to offer comments on certain pieces during regular subscription concerts, including this weekend’s program.
At the same time that he is reaching out to the community, Kahane wants to establish a positive chemistry with the orchestra and continue to help them improve.
To that end, he has included several piano concertos in this season’s lineup, including George Gershwin’s Concerto in F. Kahane, who is an internationally known pianist as well as a conductor, will serve as the soloist for these pieces and lead the orchestra from the keyboard.
Doing this, he said, helps establish a collegial, chamber-
music approach during performances and makes the musicians realize he is “not just the guy up there on the podium” but also a player like them.
“To play a piece like the Gershwin,” he said, “that calls for not only an outstanding orchestra but also a very special kind of thinking and communication and working together. So that was something that was a very conscious, deliberate choice.
“And, of course, I also want the public to know that this is a really important part of who I am.”
He also believes that offerings like his planned in-depth look at Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, a work that can all too easily be taken for granted, will help the orchestra gain new insights into it and lead to a more profound interpretation of it.
“A lot of times,” he said, “orchestras, when they do Beethoven 5 or Tchaikovsky 4 or whatever, they play through it, they fix a little thing here and thing there.
“It sounds good and everybody knows how it goes, but to really be able to focus in and probe a piece like that the way one could in the old days, that’s going to be very important to me.”
While Kahane tries to make a good impression during his first few weeks in his new position, he is already allowing himself to dream. He envisions the orchestra in four or more years playing in New York’s Carnegie Hall and perhaps even touring to Europe or South America.
“All those kinds of things I would like to see happen and should happen,” he said. “They’d be great for the morale of the orchestra. They’d also be great for the city of Denver.”
Whatever happens, said Kahane, who has a three-year contract as music director, Colorado can count on his commitment to this orchestra.
“I have every hope and intention that we’ll do another extended contract,” he said. “How long is down the road. I have no interest in going anywhere else. I’ve made this very clear, and I don’t mind saying this again.”
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor; Joshua Bell, violinist
Colorado Symphony |Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Curtis streets; 7:30 tonight and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday|$17.50-$75|303-623-7876 or coloradosymphony.org.
