6 minute read
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 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?
A: Well, at first – because it was summer – the job was primarily office work. I was tasked with cataloging the Philharmonic’s history all the way back to its founding in 1928. At first this seemed like a laborious task – and in a lot of ways, it really was! - but I came to truly enjoy learning about all the rich musical history of Spartanburg. Top-tier Orchestras from all over used to tour here, Benny Goodman played with the Philharmonic, and even some of my classical guitar heroes like Christopher Parkening and Pepe Romero had been brought to town and featured by the Philharmonic in years past. Over the summer it became a project I was quite proud of.
By working with Spartanburg Philharmonic, I was able to greatly expand my education. Peter even went so far as to help me learn about instrumentation and walked-through musical scores with me. This real-world application of skills helped me develop as a budding professional. I learned a lot about the planning that occurs months in advance of a concert as well as practical skills such as stage management and marketing. And I truly appreciated that all of the staff treated me with respect: if I had an idea, everyone was always willing to listen and genuinely consider my thoughts and opinions, even though I was very young at the time. This positive feedback helped me improve a lot of professional skills early on.
Q: What have you been up to since your internship and since graduating Upstate? A: Right after graduation I was offered a job as the Technical Director & Stage Manager for the MasterWorks Festival here in Spartanburg. MasterWorks is a monthlong summer intensive that invites students from all over the world come to come together and study chamber and orchestral music. During these four weeks, I’m in charge of all operations, logistics and stage directions. Sometimes we will put on up to 6 public performances a week. So, there’s a lot of running around!
Throughout the school year, I work as an independent contractor at Wofford, Furman, Upstate and Presbyterian college as well as running audio camera work for ESPN+ broadcasts. I also do freelance work – for example, I’m a residential piano tuner in my spare time. Similarly, I pick-up independent video and audio recording gigs. As a direct result of our working with the Spartanburg Philharmonic to make the digital concerts last fall, the Spartanburg Little Theater reached out to Brian & me, and I worked with them on their “Wintery Mix” album.
Q: Other than music and film, what is something you are passionate about?
A: In addition to music and video, I really enjoy hiking and traveling. I’ve spent a lot of time in the mountains of North Carolina as well as national parks all across America such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and several others. While visiting I always bring a camera with me – I really enjoy landscape photography just as a hobby.
proud sponsor of the Spartanburg Philharmonic
2020-2021
Rebecca Clarke
Angélica Negrón
Amy Beach
Fang Man
Georgiana Cavendish Ellen Taaffe Zwillich
