Spotlight: Ian O’Donnell
From Intern to Videographer & Audio Engineer In the past, you may have seen Ian O’Donnell moving chairs on the stage, handing out pint glasses at an Espresso concert, or in some other way working at one of the Spartanburg Philharmonic events, but you may not know that the former intern returned to the Philharmonic last fall as one of two talented young men “behind the camera,” beautifully capturing the essence of live performance and creating an amazingly intimate virtual experience for our viewers. Along with former classmate Brian Smith, Ian was an instrumental part of the Philharmonic’s shift from inperson concerts to the digital stage. In one weekend, they were responsible for recording all of the audio and video for three, full digital concerts as well as a Behindthe-Scenes documentary. We are extremely proud of “Intern Ian,” who sat down with us recently to chat about his experiences with the Philharmonic. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for this young Spartanburg talent!
Q: Were you always interested in music and film? A: As a kid, I was captivated by the guitar, and I started playing when I was about 9 years old. Shortly after that, I began classical guitar lessons with Michael Miller at the Lawson Academy of the Arts at Converse 20
College. I was always interested in both music and film, but I had always assumed I would be a classical guitar performance major while in college. After I broke my hand in an accident in my senior year of high school, I re-evaluated what I wanted to do in life. Rather than performance, I turned my focus to production, music tech, business, and composition, and I received my degree in Commercial Music with a minor in Film from USC Upstate. This was also part of why I sought out the internship with Spartanburg Philharmonic.
Q: So, tell us more – how did you come to join the Philharmonic team as an intern?
A: While
at Upstate, I saw my friends at other colleges gaining all these opportunities to work with their school’s orchestras. With Upstate being focused on commercial music combos only, I knew I needed to broaden my horizons. At the time I was a Sophomore, and I spoke to my theory teacher, Professor Robert Wells, who told me about students interning with the Spartanburg Philharmonic in years past. After that, I just started asking around until I was given Peter’s email then just reached out and ask to get involved!
Q:
What are some of your most memorable experiences as a Philharmonic intern?
