CONDUCTING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

Captivating and imaginative conductor Daniel Meyer was appointed permanent Artistic Director and Conductor of the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra in April of 2019. As Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic and Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Westmoreland Symphony, and Director of Orchestral Activities at Duquesne University, Mr. Meyer has reinvigorated orchestras with his innovative programs, engaging presence and keen musical intellect. We sat down with him to talk about the the new collaboration in store.

Tell us about your background working with both dance and orchestra together? My first experiences with ballet and live orchestra were with the Pittsburgh Ballet and Attack Theatre, a modern dance ensemble based in Pittsburgh. With the Pittsburgh Ballet, we performed Balanchine's Serenade, which re-orders the movements of the Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings into an emotional ensemble piece. With Attack Theatre, we created a premiere version of Stravinsky's L'histoire du Soldat, a fascinating wartime Faust tale for chamber ensemble and dancers. I learned right away that the tempos and inflections that best suit the dancers will ultimately reveal the best results, even if I would make different choices in the concert hall. It's truly a collaboration, and I also do my best to stay connected to the physicality of what the dancers do - it deeply influences how I pace the musicmaking.

The program is titled “Building Bridges Together. ” How did the organizations come to that name and what were you hoping to share? With the pandemic still raging in our country, we have been anxious to create experiences that keep us connected to our audience. We want to find ways to build a bridge to our audience at home, and that led to an idea that we could build a bridge to one of our treasured artistic partners in

Verb Ballets. The passion and beauty of dance is such a visual experience, and to marry that to the way BlueWater Chamber Orchestra makes music and satisfies our need for auditory stimulation, I hoped that the combination would in some way strengthen us through this tie and give us hope for the future.

Were there any unique challenges or opportunities conducting with a socially distanced orchestra? The orchestra performed with at least six feet between each of us, so the way that we subconsciously react to each other changes drastically. I also never fully appreciated how our facial expressions signal to each other what we are about to do, how we will do it, and how we feel about it all. I do believe we have to finely hone our other senses to a degree that compensates for what we lack in visual stimulation and visual cueing.

How has working with film brought out the unique qualities of the orchestra? In this format, our audience has a close-up view of our musicians working their hardest to fill each musical gesture with meaning and passion. You can really feel as if you are a specially invited guest who gets to hear and watch the orchestra onstage. I happily get to experience this sensation on a regular basis, and it gives me great pleasure to share this vantage point with our audience.

What did you most enjoy about working with Verb Ballets? I first had the pleasure to experience Verb Ballets when they came to Lakeside Chautauqua to perform with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra. I was immediately struck by the creativity of the choreography, the fascinating choices of music, and the notably high quality of dancing. There was obviously a special chemistry between the dancers, and that came across to clearly on the Hoover Auditorium stage. Once I had then the chance to collaborate with Maggi and Richard the following summer, I knew we were kindred spirits in terms of our love to create, execute, and dream. I just knew that someday it would be inevitable that the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra and Verb Ballets would collaborate.