THE STAR
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Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • PAGE 3
The Reid Feed: Keeping Score with Dominique Røyem Janet Sue
Ryan Lee
Art and Culture Columnists
By Ryan Lee Reid and Janet Sue Reid
D
ominique Røyem is a musical force of nature. She has been the music director and conductor of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra since 2014. While that is an impressive feat in and of itself, it’s really her graciousness towards her peers, the community, and upand-coming musicians that sets her apart from other leaders in her field. Røyem’s superpower is bringing out the best in everyone and everything around her. She is a rare musical empath.
Unlike most musicians, Røyem says she wasn’t inspired to be a conductor but instead was recruited. As an undergraduate at the University of Houston she would assist the chorus director with administrative duties, and as a thank you he let her conduct a piece with a chorus and orchestra. After the performance, an older gentleman approached Røyem, handed her his card, then said to her “We’re going to coffee, and you’re going to be a professional conductor.” Røyem laughs as recalls how simply her path and calling unfolded, “So we went to coffee, and now I’m a professional conductor.” That’s not to say that her career came easy. In fact, as a woman in a male-dominated field, she’s probably had to work twice as hard as her male counterparts to even get half as far. According to Bachtrack’s annual survey, in 2013 only one of the world’s top 100 conductors was female; as of 2022 there are now 12 women on the list. This is
an incredibly disproportionate number, to say the least, considering women make up half of the overall population. Røyem wants to help pave the way for other musicians who face adversity and struggle to be seen or heard. One of Røyem’s most important and fulfilling work comes from a program called Artist INC, an eight-week artist entrepreneurship program that teaches artists how to transform their art into a business. The program teaches artists business skills like how to optimize their social media presence, create websites, grant writing, and networking. Artist INC had a lifelong impact on Røyem who went through the program herself as an up-and-coming artist. So much in fact that she joined the program as a facilitator to shape the next generation of young artists. “One of my personal passions in life is to help other artists make art, because that’s what a conductor does,” Røyem says. This collaborative spirit and philosophy of helping other artists extends to her tenure as the head of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. We learned from Røyem that different conductors have different views on their relationship with the orchestra,which are as varied as the instruments that make up the symphony itself. “I don’t like the old way, the Toscanini Method of conducting, which is down from on high,” she says. “In other words, I know everything and I’m gonna shout at you until you do it.” Røyem prefers a lighter touch that fosters a back-and-forth collaborative spirit between the orchestra and conductor. This makes sense since all of the musicians are expert with more than 20 years of experience under their belts for each of their individual instruments. In a break from standard practice, Røyem even lets her assistant conductor conduct at least one piece every concert, something unheard
Inspiring music by your neighbors for your neighbors under the musical direction of Dominique Røyem. Dominique Røyem (top, bottom left from DominiqueRoyem.com); Janet Sue Reid, pianist Harrison Yu, Dominique Røyem, Ryan Lee Reid (Joanna Scott). Photo montage by Janet Sue Reid.
of in most professional orchestras. “Usually when you have an assistant conductor, they’ll either take, like a children’s concert or like a free concert, and that’s all they’ll do all season,” she says. Røyem does this professional courtesy because podium time is an incredibly valuable currency for any young conductor trying to get experience in their field, mostly because it’s very expensive to practice, considering you must have an orchestra present. Many young conductors will go to workshops in the U.S.
or other countries and pay for podium time to really work things out, which can end up costing thousands of dollars for just a 30-to90-minute slot of time in front of a professional orchestra. That is why Røyem’s assistant conductor program is so impressive because she gives young artists the opportunity to grow as musicians. As far as her long-term goals, Røyem is hoping to bring symphonic music to more people in Fort Bend. Not only is it closer than Houston with easier
Find information and purchase tickets for these upcoming Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra concerts at fbso.org. An Afternoon of Romance
Sunday, February 18, 2 - 4 p.m., Stafford Centre Join FBSO for An Afternoon of Romance – a concert full of the most romantic music on the planet. Hear enthralling works such as the iconic “Romeo and Juliette Fantasy Overture” by Tchaikovsky, the sensuous Intermezzo from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni, and Hanson’s towering Symphony No. 2, the “Romantic.” Harrison Yu, the winner of the 2024 Marielle Ogletree Young Artist Concerto Competition will also perform their winning concerto movement of the concert.
Behold the Umbrellaphant! Children’s Concert
Saturday, March 23, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., George Memorial Library, Richmond The annual Children’s concert at the George Memorial Library is about stories of animals!
An Evening at the Opera
Saturday May 11, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., Dunham Theatre, Morris Cultural Arts Center, Houston Christian University FBSO plays at HCU’s Durham theatre with the FBSOC and three opera singers. Join us “for a night of majestic singing!
To see Dominique Røyem in action, check out: fbso.org To learn more about Dominique Røyem, check out: DominiqueRoyem.com To learn more about Artist INC, check out: artistinc.art
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parking and better priced tickets, but attendees are supporting art by artists in their community. It is pretty cool to have our own professional symphony in Fort Bend, especially because the orchestra is composed of our own friends, family, and neighbors. As Røyem astutely says, “Fort Bend is diverse and our orchestra reflects this diversity. This is one of the best benefits of living in Fort Bend.” When we ask her why people should go to the Fort Bend Symphony, Røyem lights up and says, “It’s music by your
neighbors for your neighbors!” So please don’t miss a beat and support our local gem of a symphony led by the captivating Dominique Røyem. Ryan Lee Reid, “The Piano Cowboy”, and Janet Sue Reid, “The Culinary Cowgirl”, are artists and creators. They transform space and time to move and heal people through art. They live in Sugar Land with their children. Find their full bios and contact them through ReidFeed. com.