Conductors
are given very set amounts of time to accomplish very expansive things: a
Brahms symphony, the Barber Violin
Concerto, a 21st-century fireball of a piece that the
orchestra hasn't played before. Such is Peter Oundjian's task this week, but he
has some advantages. As a guest conductor he's worked with this orchestra many
times and conductor/musicians know each other
well. Oundjian's soloist is the
orchestra concertmaster, David Halen, and both know and respect each other enormously.
But
still: Time! Time! I was riding up the
elevator with Oundjian, SLSO violinist Jooyeon Kong, and Jon-Oliver Knight, who
is Oundjian's driver this week. Oundjian was Jooyeon's teacher at Yale, so they were trying to catch up during the short rehearsal break. Jon-O spread a Xeroxed
menu before the conductor's eyes: "What
do you want for lunch?" "Oh yes," Oundjian said, a bit startled at the thought, "I need to eat, don't I? Thank you so
much." He chose his sandwich, and apple instead of chips, patting his stomach. "If
only I could conduct more with my stomach muscles."
You know
a conductor is focused when he has to be reminded to eat.
