James Strecker: One of your mentors, Gustav Meier, once told me that he took exception to a remark made by Leonard Bernstein, I think it was, that when he was conducting he felt like the composer of a given work. So how, in your opinion, does a conductor balance personal expression and responsibility to the composer’s intention?
Gemma New: From what you’re saying, I’m not sure Bernstein was implying that he expresses music differently from the composer’s intentions. Perhaps Bernstein was commenting on the process of learning a score. We are often trying to get inside the mind of the composer, to understand the composer’s creative process.
Mr. Meier was my teacher for two years at the Peabody Conservatory, and I greatly cherish the time I had studying with him. He took great care in teaching the details in the score. Every part, every line, needed to be felt or shown.
JS: As a conductor, how exactly do you connect with a work in order to lead an orchestra in its presentation to an audience?
GN: The general score-learning process is analysis (the what, how, why), learning the musicological background of the composer and work, deciding upon the interpretation for the concert at hand, and figuring out how to achieve this interpretation.
JS: Several conductors have told me that listening to recordings of a given work can interfere with one’s interpretation of it. What is your view?
GN: There are many influences on one’s interpretation: score study, playing it on the piano, researching the composer and background of the work, working on the piece as a cover conductor, rehearsing and performing the work as an orchestral player or as a conductor, receiving feedback from players, dealing with the physical realities of the space you will be using, life experience, as well as listening to recordings. Many great influences to lead one to a strong interpretation!
JS: You have a number of conducting positions and I wonder if a young person came to you for advice as to how to become a conductor of quality, what five things would you stress to this person?
GN: You need to work hard, study the music deeply and meticulously. You need to manage your time responsibly. Be comfortable with who you are, that way you can better focus on working with others. I’ve always found I work considerably better when I’m relaxed; find a way to turn off the high nervous energy. Remember that your instrument is not an object, it’s a large team of highly talented and driven human beings.
JS: How did being born in New Zealand affect you as a musician and as a conductor?
GN: I had a great childhood in New Zealand, rich in classical music. People sometimes say to me that because New Zealand is a small and remote country, they suspect we might not be in touch with the classical music tradition, but this is not the case. We have international stars visiting all the time, many professional and youth orchestras throughout the country, and many of our teachers and professional musicians are world class.
JS: I am quite blown away by very active and widespread musical life you live, so please tell us something about the demands and pleasures of each of your current musical positions, how many gigs each one involves, and your other musical activities. What do you love most about your musical life? Is there any danger of spreading yourself too thin?
GN: My schedule is actually quite normal for a conductor. I love the variety of music, ensembles, cities that I encounter throughout the year. It is always a real treat to work with the LA Phil, as I am this week. I look forward to bringing experiences and ideas from LA to Hamilton.
JS: You started as a violinist, so where does playing a violin fit into your present life? How does being a violinist influence how you conduct and approach an orchestra?
GN: I started playing the violin at a young age, soon after joining youth orchestras, and later professional orchestras. This experience has helped me understand players’ needs and point of view. Plus, I feel very comfortable working with the string section!
JS: What’s it like nowadays for a female conductor in the international world of classical music?
GN: Being a female has never seemed like a hurdle nor a benefit for me. I started conducting at a young age, and realised quickly that this was my most natural way of expressing, and contributing to, music.
JS: You’re the founder-director of the Lunar Ensemble in New York, a group that commissions and performs new works of classical music. What’s the difference for you in approaching a new score and one that is a staple of our musical canon?
GN: The Lunar Ensemble is based in the culturally rich city of Baltimore, MD, though we do often travel and perform in other States. We work on many new pieces by emerging and established composers. Often the composer is with us, and we work closely with them in rehearsal to make sure the piece is performed the way they envisioned.
JS: When you conducted Beethoven’s 6th in Hamilton last year, I heard elements I hadn’t noticed before, which put the symphony, to some degree, in a new perspective. How often does it happen to you that, when you approach a work to conduct it, you find things that other conductors hadn’t revealed to you? How does having to conduct a work make you see it in a new light?
GN: There are many delightful underlying rhythms and inner voices in Beethoven’s symphonies, especially that 2nd movement of the 6th. Whenever I am preparing a program, I take my score and start where I left off. New ideas, new perspectives happen all the time.
JS: Since you are the HPO’s new musical director, perhaps you could explain all the things a person with this position does.
GN: As Music Director of the HPO I will, in collaboration with HPO musicians and staff, lead the artistic vision of the orchestra. We want audiences to be inspired by the concert experience, and to be moved by the music. Practically speaking, I lead this vision by programming the seasons, rehearsing and performing with the orchestra, and engaging with the audience on and off the podium.
JS: Inevitably one sees a sea of grey heads at concerts –or plays, for that matter- and I wonder what you might do to bring young people to classical music. Can this be done without gimmickry or selling out the music?
GN: Our product is excellent and exciting performances of powerful, live orchestral music. Diluting this wouldn’t make sense, it is our strongest asset. I think there are three things we need to focus upon here – spreading the word so that younger people are more aware of the concerts, getting all who walk in the doors to feel welcome, and providing extra-musical events for those want a better understanding of the music. The HPO staff and musicians are doing a tremendous job with this already, and I’m really proud to become part of their team.
JS: With such a very busy and demanding life, how do you keep healthy? What do you do about stress?
GN: Each of equal importance: get enough sleep, stay warm, eat healthily, exercise.
JS: I get the feeling that you have a lot of plans, in some stage, for the musical scene in Hamilton. If they are in a form that you can discuss at present, could you tell us what some of them are?
GN: I cannot wait (but I will have to wait…) to tell you about the 2016-17 season!! The Artistic Advisory Committee and I have been spending these last few months programming this season and I am so excited to be presenting these programs with the HPO for Hamilton.
JS: Why is classical music important?
GN: Society acknowledges the importance of physical exercise and eating healthily, but what about mental and emotional health? What about the need to express feelings without words, the need to relax and take your mind off the stresses of everyday life, the need to be creative and to dream, the need to be inspired by something that is greater than yourself? Classical music does all this. Orchestras especially are the great example of what humanity can achieve when united. Alone, we cannot achieve an orchestral performance, but together we can create something beautiful and powerful.
JS: Thanks, and I’m very glad to say ‘Welcome to Hamilton.’