Kahn takes to stage in new role for New World, New Beginnings symphony concert
Robert Kahn returns to the Mansfield Theater stage on Oct. 10 for the New World, New Beginnings concert.
It will be his first concert with the Great Falls Symphony as its music director.
He conducted the February concert during last season’s search and in May, he was selected for the position.
Since then, it’s been a busy summer, with little time to plan the upcoming season.
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Some of the programming had already been scheduled, “but there were lots of opportunities to put my own stamp on it,” Kahn told The Electric.
Kahn is based in Philadelphia and spends about 15 weeks of the year in Chicago, where he’s an assistant conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, offering support as a cover conductor, leading youth concerts and conducting the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
He spends Great Falls Symphony concert weeks here, which he said is his favorite since he gets to do his own thing as music director.
This year’s season includes eight full symphony programs, up from the typical six.
Rehearsals began Wednesday for Saturday’s concert and Kahn said that after two, he had already noticed growth among the musicians, who learn their parts ahead of time on their own.
On Oct. 10, he’ll be giving a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. in the theater with guest pianist Janice Carissa and Sarah Adcock, associate curator at the C.M. Russell Museum.
The symphony is partnering again this season with the Russell to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Charlie Russell’s death.
Kahn has been working with the museum curators to select pieces that connect with the feature piece–Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, nicknamed the “New World” symphony.
There were some unique overlaps in the lives of Russell and Dvorak, and the 9th Symphony was in part inspired by Native American folk music.
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Now that the concert season is underway, he’s settling into his new position in Great Falls.
“The priority is to connect with the community as much as possible,” Kahn said.
He’s been meeting with community partners, such as the Great Falls Public Library, and attended an orchestra concert at Great Falls High School this week, brainstorming for concert and programming ideas.
Kahn said he’d like to connect more with the symphony’s own youth orchestra and also with Great Falls Public Schools’ robust music program, hopefully creating a mentorship program with aspiring young musicians who are ambitious and at a certain level.
Kahn said they’ve already started planning next season, which often starts a year in advance, but throughout this season, he’ll be watching how audiences react to performances, pieces and composers.
“It will be a lot of observing but also taking some risks,” he said.
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Want to go?
When: Oct. 10
Where: Mansfield Theater in the Civic Center, 2 Park Drive S.
What: free pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. in the theater; concert begins at 7:30 p.m., post-concert maestro lounge in the Gibson Room, open to concertgoers.
