Dalia Stasevska - Conductor

 In late August my Bar Harbor friend, Dr. Bill Horner, flew to Lahti, Finland to attend the Sibelius Festival.  Bill has become quite a Sibeliophile listening to the composer’s symphonies, tone poems and reading his biography.  Bill shared the diary of his trip that included his review of the three Sibelius concerts he attended.  Through his writing I learned of conductor Dalia Stasevska.  Bill admits to not having the credentials of a music critic, yet, his review of Maestra Stasevska is quite accurate, I am sure; “her conducting style spot on: her baton arm marked a tempo that even I could follow, and her left made long sweeping motions that imparted her evident passion to both her orchestra and to me.”

Another woman conductor has crossed my radar screen and one whose career is worth researching and writing about on my blog!

Dalia Stasevska was born Kyiv, Ukraine in 1984.  Her family moved to Finland when she was five. Her music training began on the violin and eventually she studied composition at the Tampere Conservatory in Finland.  Moving forward she continued her studies of violin and viola at the Sibelius Academy where conducting studies were afforded by pawning her violin.  

How she chose to be a conductor - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbMSFvX3mB0

Dalia has been appointed the Chief Conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director to the International Sibelius Festival.  She is Principal Guest Conductor to the BBC Symphony Orchestra, made her BBC Proms debut in 2019 and in 2023 conducted the First Night of the BBC Proms. 

Below is the link to to that BBC Proms concert.  She begins conducting around 2 minutes. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT9IwYfTr7E&t=234s

Maestra Stasevska has conducted concerts with the world’s leading orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic. Chicago Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-OrchesterBerlin and the list goes on and on. 

Opera conducting is another of her musical passions leading productions at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival, Finnish National Opera and with the Kungliga Opera Stockholm. 

 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky bestowed on Dalia the Order of Princess Olga of the III Degree for her contribution to international cooperation and upholding Ukraine’s prestigious historical and cultural heritage.  She and her brothers have actively raised donations for supplies given to the Ukraine people, delivering them in person. 

Dalia is married to the great grandson of Jean Sibelius, Lauri Porra, who is a Finnish composer and musician.  The couple has one child.

Known for her colorful conducting wardrobe - she is a colorful, spirited conductor as well; one who has masterfully led the world’s greatest orchestras.  Her baton technique radiates her passionate musical understanding to all who work with her. 

Another brilliant woman conductor is on my radar.  And, my thanks to my friend, Bill Horner, for making the trip to the Sibelius Festival!

#BringingBackBranscombe

Xian Zhang & the Seattle Symphony Orchestra

Among conductor Xian Zhang’s many accomplishments are eight seasons of being Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.  With the Philadelphia Orchestra she won a Grammy Award for the Deutsche Grammophon release Letters for Future.  As guest conductor she has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.   Quite impressive!

 Add to those accomplishments, she is the new Music Director of the Seattle Symphony having signed a five-year contract beginning in the 2025-2026 season.  Another land mark for her, Zhang is the first woman to lead a major West Coast orchestra. 

Congratulations to Xian Zhang and many thanks to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra for choosing a woman conductor who will lead your orchestra into the future.

 

#BringingBackBranscombe

Zeta Tau Alpha - Gena Branscombe

 

In August 2011 I wrote of Gena Branscombe’s initiation and membership in three professional fraternities, one of which was Zeta Tau Alpha.  Recently an article from “Themis of Zeta Tau Alpha” dated November 1, 1941, came into my possession.

In the article are two pictures of Miss Branscombe that I have previously never seen.  The picture of her holding a baton; with intensity she is in control ready to give a downbeat, her performers’ complete attention is obvious from the look in her eyes.  Let the music ring forth.  She is performance ready; she’s wearing a string of pearls!

 

The second picture was taken on the evening of her initiation into Zeta Tau Alpha which took place in Edgewater Gulf, Mississippi. 

 

Gena became an editor for the Zeta Tau Alpha song book.  Not only was she a national initiate, she was actively involved sharing her musical talent. 

 

The article is biographical describing her family, education and career. 

#BringingBackBranscombe

 

Bayreuth - 2024 - Women Conductors

 

The glass ceiling for women conductors is being shattered this summer when three women lead performances of Wagner’s operas at the Bayreuth Festival.  YES!

 

In  2021, Ukrainian Oksana Lyniv became the first woman to conduct at Richard Wagner’s theatre, Bayreuth.  Wagner initiated his company in 1876 ---- it only took 145 years for a woman to conduct there.  Maestra Lyniv debuted conducting “Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)” and has returned this summer to lead that same opera.

Simone Young, the first Australian conductor at Bayreuth, will lead performances of Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” She is the first woman to ever perform those four wonderful operas at Wagner’s Bayreuth festival ---- 147 years after its founding.

 

French conductor Nathalie Stutzmann made her Bayreuth debut in 2023 leading performances of “Tannhauser.”  She returns this summer to lead an open air concert and “Tannhauser.”  

 

Congratulations to these three women conductors who have made an indelible mark on the music world.  Thank you to Bayreuth for helping to shatter the glass ceiling for women conductors.

#BringingBackBranscombe

Jessica Bloch joins The Gena Branscombe Project Board

Congratulations and welcome to The Gena Branscombe Project's Board, Jessica Bloch.  A music entrepreneur, wonderful soprano, voice teacher, performer and as you can tell, a real go-getter!  

 

#BringingBackBranscombe

The Gena Branscombe Scholarships - 2024

Congratulations

to

The Gena Branscombe Project

2024 Scholarship Winners!

Emily Clements - Composer

Braeden Weyhrich - Conductor

Maclain Hardin-Kurza - Arts Administration

#BringingBackBranscombe

 

Shirley Smith, Conductor

 When my phone rang this morning with the caller being a friend from Bar Harbor, Maine, where I had performed countless times with conductor Shirley Smith, I knew what news might be coming.  Shirley had died yesterday.  A large Maine coast ocean wave of sadness washed over me. 

Shirley…..how does one describe Shirley Smith?  Down home, no nonsense, wore jeans, t shirts and sneakers to rehearsal, rugged enough to survive numerous brutal Maine winters, honest, sentimental, lover of dogs, a good musician and organist, a good conductor, crazy sense of humor whose contagious laughter sent sparks of delight through a room.  For 23 years she led the Acadia Choral Society in programs from the Mozart “Requiem,”  Verdi’s “Requiem,” opera choruses, Purcell’s “Ode on St. Cecilia,” a staged version of “Dido and Aeneas,” Brahms’ “Requiem,” creative Holiday programs and much more.  Her chorus was always well prepared and her orchestras and accompanists willing and able to make music.

Music….that was what Shirley could do….make music through her skills, love of music and comradery.  Her goals were always to make great music, to enjoy making music, taking the pressure off oneself to have fun.  Her chorus, orchestras, soloists rose to the occasion for concerts with audience members capturing the enthusiasm from all of us led by ... Shirley Smith.  The after concert parties held at chorus members’ homes would find Shirley enjoying a beer, laughing and sharing in the musical high we had created a few hours earlier. 

My first performance with the Acadia Choral Society was singing Purcell’s “Ode on Saint Cecelia.”  It became evident from our first rehearsal that Shirley and I shared the same sense of humor.  From then on let the jokes, sometimes pranks, flow with one of us topping the other!  Trumpets – yes, trumpets became the center piece of our pranks.   Just know, we howled with laughter.

 

I looked forward to learning from her as she pointed out details in a score or sharing why a composer’s life experience had made that particular moment happen in the music.  She would stop to ask me why or how I chose to interpret something never finding fault but learning another way to approach music.  This was musical comradery and admiration. 

After one concert I mentioned to Shirley that I would love an opportunity to sing the Verdi “Requiem.”  She listened, said not a word.  Two years later I received a call that she had programmed the “Requiem” and invited me to be the mezzo soloist.  Arriving a few days before the concert, magical rehearsals with sympathetic colleague soloists, the chorus and orchestra made that glorious music come alive in performances.  Forever in my heart’s memory will be Shirley drenched in sweat letting that hushed ending echo through the church.  She stood absolutely still allowing the moment of silence ... to be. 

After Shirley retired from the Acadia Choral Society, we stayed in touch speaking every 3 to 4 weeks.  We shared a love for nature with Shirley giving us a “critter” report from her home in the country.  The occasional bear sauntered through her yard during the summer, deer appeared year round, a red fox visited and every variety of birds ate at her feeders.  Living in the country suited Shirley.  She hated cities with all the crowding and cars.  She did make two trips to attend the Metropolitan Opera for a performance of “Don Giovanni” and “Orfeo ed Euridice.”  She loved the performances but hurried back to her beloved Maine.

After much teasing from Dan to at least consider him for a soloist position, at an after party she made Dan “audition” for her.  Poor Dan taken by surprise sang a little Mozart melody he knew….he didn’t know the words just the melody.  Great roars of laughter and Dan came to realize….he wasn’t going to be hired as soloist!

Sadly Shirley’s faltering memory became her daily existence and our phone calls ceased.  I missed our conversations.

Well, Shirley……….job well done, you lived a long, meaningful life that touched the hearts of many of us.  I will always see your smile, hear your laughter, holding forever in my heart the music we made in Bar Harbor, Maine.  Oh, by the way, I hope you are hearing trumpets....the ones with the mouthpieces properly attached!  RIP, my friend.