Rochester’s maestro
Jere Lantz has led the Rochester Symphony Orchestra for 40 percent of its 100-year history. He’ll step down from his CEO responsibilities in June but remain artistic director. (Marie Ferguson, courtesy of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra) Story by jay furst Contributing Writer
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hen Jere Lantz came to Rochester to lead the local orchestra, he thought he might be here for five years, maybe 10. But 40 years fly by when you love what you do, and Lantz clearly revels in being out front and making music. “I think of myself as an evangelist -- an evangelist for great music,” said Lantz, who now more than even looks the part of the maestro, with a mane of gray hair that flies loose when he’s waving his arms or jabbing the baton. “I love to pass along my love of music. I like to get up in front of people and talk, and you can’t stop me. People tell me to just say a few words and it hardly ever happens, it’s always a number of words. It’s the same thing with conducting.” The Rochester Symphony Orchestra is a century old this year, and Lantz, 71, has been artistic director for 40 percent of its history. The orchestra and maestro have been celebrating the occasions all season, and on
Lantz, who counts Leonard Bernstein and George Szell among the conductors who most influenced him, works on a score in advance of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra’s concert on March 14, a celebration of his 40 years on the podium. (Photo by Elin Lantz Lesser)
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March 14, Lantz will took a bow with a program called “Cheers to 40 Years,” featuring music that has special meaning for him -- the first piece he conducted with full orchestra, Wagner’s “Meistersinger” Overture, for example, and the Symphony No. 2 by the composer he’s come to realize is his favorite, Johannes Brahms. Lantz has had a remarkable impact on Rochester’s arts and culture life since the days of Jimmy Carter and vinyl records. Theater directors have come and gone (some under dark clouds), other institutions such as the Rochester Art Center have had their ups and downs, and the city has boomed even as its arts attractions have not. Through it all, with creative programming, a lively wit and common touch, and a Bernstein-like talent for spreading the gospel of classical music, Lantz has helped keep the Rochester Symphony growing, vital and relevant. That’s no easy task in an era when there’s an infinite number of ways to be entertained, and fewer kids grow up listening to the classics. Forty years with a baton in your hand and a score in front of you -- or in your head -- is quite a feat. The League of American Orchestras estimates that the average tenure of current U.S. maestros is 13 years. “Jere Lantz’s tenure is a powerful testament to his
