James Gaffigan, Music Director of CityMusic Cleveland

There’s a famous poem that starts: “If once you have slept on an island, you'll never be quite the same again." It’s by Rachel Field, and dates from the 1920's. It seems reasonable, then, that being born and raised on Staten Island may have given James Gaffigan a boost up in his chosen career field. You’d think he had a rocket ship of his own to have climbed so far so fast.

When you look at him, he looks perhaps 19, but in reality, he’s almost 30. Wow. And here he is, for the last two years, Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, under Michael Tilson Thomas. For the three years prior to that, he was assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. Of course, he’s also been the only Music Director of City Music Cleveland, now in its fifth season. He was the second guest conductor of the new orchestra, and once his concerts were past, quickly moved into the permanent position. He loves it!

“CityMusic Cleveland is up to doing almost anything. The musicians are mostly hand-picked so it’s a safe environment for all of us. We work, we party, we eat together, so we really get to know each other and build a sense of trust. It’s sort of the opposite of the real world.” As music director, he’s in charge of programming, too. He says, “I don’t really have a formula for programming. It just needs to be paced well, and have a sense of context. It’s like a good meal –it needs to be balanced, and not have too much of any one thing. The pieces must make sense with each other. And of course, it has to be pleasing to the musicians, the audience and myself.”

“I like doing new works, too. The board of CMC is very intelligent in how they commission music. They commissioned Margaret Brouwer (former head of composition at CIM) to write a violin concerto particularly suited for then concertmaster Michi Wiancko.” The piece drew rave reviews for the composition as well as the performing of it. It is featured on one of the self-produced CDs, sponsored by CMC, and may be purchased at any of their concerts or through the web-site. This is one of four CDs currently available.

When he isn’t in San Francisco or Cleveland, James may be found in one of the opera or concert halls of Europe. Almost immediately after the final concerts here last spring he was off to Salzburg, where he conducted a work by one of his favorite composers—Robert Schumann’s Spring Symphony No. 1, as part of a two-week residency. Next season (2009/10) he’ll be back in Salzburg for a week with the Salzburg Camerata. Future opera conducting includes Mozart’s La Nozze de Figaro in Houston for the 10/11 season and a debut with Chicago’s Lyric Opera the following season.

Another new work is scheduled to open the next season, in October, 2009, but this time it’ll be without Gaffigan, who’ll be at Glyndebourne, England, conducting Falstaff. This world premiere is for solo string quartet and orchestra, by Canadian composer Christos Hatzis. The piece is being written for City Music Cleveland and the Pacifica Quartet, which just last week was named ensemble of the year by Musical America.

Last week (when we talked) he was ‘standing by’ for the recording of the Mahler Symphony No. 8, the last in the highly-acclaimed series of all the Mahler symphonies by the San Francisco Symphony. One of the most important duties of being an assistant conductor is filling in on very short notice should the regular conductor falls ill. That happened earlier this month when Gaffigan stepped in for Michael Tilson Thomas who was unable to lead the orchestra in Haydn’s Symphony No. 60, Il distratto, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Pastoral. Guest soloist was soprano Erin Wall in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Well, he had previously done the Barber, but never the Haydn or the Beethoven. “I don’t know why, either, really,” he said, thoughtfully. “But at least I was very familiar with the Barber, because we did that last winter with CMC.” He continued, “As music director, it’s great. I never have to do a piece I don’t want to do. That’s not always the case when I’m covering or filling in. Of course, I learn a lot that way, too. I’ll never stop learning,” he says, firmly.

This week, he was already scheduled to conduct subscription concerts (in San Francisco) of November 26, 28, and 29, which feature Hilary Hahn as soloist in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Also on the program: Tchaikovsky’s Voyevoda, Glinka’s Kamarinskaya, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 1.

So how did he get here to this podium at such a young age? Neither of his parents were musically-inclined, but they were extremely supportive of their son, making sure he had lessons and instruments as needed. James remembers, “There was always music in the house, it might have been recordings or the radio, but it was there.” His younger sister was more into vocal music, so he’s not sure where his mostly instrumental talent came from. He started piano lessons when very young. “I don’t recall how old I was, exactly” he says, “but it was in early elementary school.” Then came the guitar, which stayed around for a good many years. An early friend who lived across the street was a drummer. The two boys rehearsed constantly and played together as much as possible. In high school, James played with many different rock bands.

“We played in Manhattan in places where I wasn’t even old enough to buy a drink!” he says with a big laugh. “But I also played in a jazz band, and in the band for a gospel choir. I think I was the only white kid in that one, and it was a great experience!” It was in junior high, too, at I. S. 75, that he took up the bassoon. “I had this fantastic teacher, Barry Delman, who played on Broadway—all the reeds: clarinet, saxophone, bassoon. even flute—it was so impressive. He taught me how to make reeds, too. But making reeds is not the most fun part of playing that instrument,” he adds, so he could give it up for conducting. That’s the bane of all double-reed instrumentalists—making reeds. Many times they spend more time making reeds than they do practicing!

But it wasn’t all music, all the time. Oh, no. “I loved baseball. I was a pretty good pitcher. In fact, I had dreams of maybe getting a scholarship to college where I could play ball. I could also catch, and play 3rd base, but, you know, as much as I loved it, it never took priority over the music. So I made the choice to go with the music.”

Twelve years later he already has a career than many 60-year-olds can only dream of. Talk about being on the fast track!

While at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, he also attended the Juilliard School Preparatory Division. He first thought of being conductor, when he was 18. From his position in the orchestra, there were questions needing answers. He found them through studying the entire orchestral score. “It has never been work. Practicing is a ball!”

Then it was on to the New England Conservatory, for a degree in bassoon performance where he began formal conducting studies. It was at NEC that he first encountered another young musician named Lee Taylor. (Remember that name!) From Boston, he went south to Rice University in Houston, where he earned a Master's degree in conducting. Meanwhile, he’d been chosen by David Zinman to participate in the inaugural year of the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen in 2000, and two years later, he won the Academy's first Robert Harth Conducting Award. That same summer he made his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Music Festival. The following summer, after graduating from Rice, he was a conducting fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. The next year, he won first prize at the Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. Fast track, indeed!

As for his favorite composer? “Oh, Mozart’s operas, to be sure. But really, if I could go back in time, I’d most like to see Johann Sebastian Bach improvise on the organ. Well, Bruckner would be good, too. But definitely Bach. And then,” he chuckles (almost a giggle) “I’d party with Mozart.” And why not? They’re much of an age, and both wunderkinds, so they’d probably have a lot in common. But then, he gets serious again. “And I’d love to attend a party at Schubert’s house where he would accompany someone singing his Lieder. He wrote the most beautiful Lieder.”

This past June, he and Lee Taylor were married. “She’s taking my name” he adds proudly. She is a musician, but even with success at the professional level, she chose to go with her talent in writing. “I use her as my ghost-writer, when it needs to be really good!” he adds. She’s studying at the New School for Non-Fiction Creative Writing in New York, where the Gaffigans have an apartment. “But, really,” he says, “I live out of my suitcase.” It’s a good thing she also likes music and travel as both items figure heavily in their lives at the moment. “We met a very long time ago,” he adds, “when we were both at the New England Conservatory of Music.” Another chuckle/giggle. “She’s an angel,” he says, very seriously.

There was another momentous occasion for James Gaffigan last June. He was awarded the prestigious Helen M. Thompson Award for Emerging Music Directors, from the League of American Orchestras.

Where would he like to be in ten years from now? “I’d really like to be music director of a major American orchestra – this country is full of incredible music and musicians.” Of course, being he’s an American conductor, this match makes perfect sense to him. He’d also like to have a European orchestra (maybe as principal guest conductor), and be able to conduct one or two operas each season, as well. Perhaps by then, he and his wife will also have a family. He’d like that, very much.

As a self-described perfectionist, he hasn’t yet met many of his early goals – but then, he’s still only 29. “I learn from every musician with whom I play,” he says. “I’ll never stop learning.”

CityMusic Cleveland performs Not-Your-Usual-Holiday Concerts, Dec. 2 through Dec. 7 at various venues throughout the Cleveland area. Visit the web-site for specifics. As always, there is no admission charge, and some venues offer free-childcare during the concerts. Information at: http://www.citymusiccleveland.org

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

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