A new piece written exclusively for the Ashland Symphony Orchestra (ASO) debuts October 7th. Written by Stefan Swanson as a tribute to Arie Lipsky, current Music Director Michael Repper’s predecessor, speaks to his 25 years in the position and exuberant passion for music.
Currently residing in Maryland, Swanson, a composer for over 20 years with a collection of around 100 pieces and film scores, has had this piece on his mind since 2020. Initially, Swanson was working at Ashland University when he met Martha Buckner, the executive director of ASO. Buckner and Swanson had their initial meeting just weeks before COVID hit. Initially, the work was supposed to come out in 2021.
“When I first moved to Ashland, I went to the first concert I could. They played Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, which is probably my absolute favorite symphony. I had just moved from Los Angeles, so I had just heard the Los Angeles Philharmonic play. I was thinking, ‘Oh, the poor Ashland Symphony Orchestra, they’re not really going to be able to hold up to what I just heard, but whatever, it’ll be fun,” Swanson said
“And when it was over, I literally turned to the guy next to me, and said ‘That was way better than the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They really knocked it out of the park.’ I learned pretty quickly talking to people that you know, a lot of that had to do with Lipsky, he just brought good energy to those pieces,” Swanson said.
The next season, ASO began auditioning conductors to replace Lipsky, the inspiration of the piece; upon his stepping down. Soon, they hired Grammy® Award winning Michael Repper. The youngest North American conductor to win a Grammy® Award in Best Orchestral Performance.
“I mean, he’s just this crazy young, energetic talent. So now that it’s all finally settled, we can now finally do it. It’s been a long time coming,” Swanson said.
Repper has been conducting since he was eight years old, and his mission is to “reinvigorate the public with the power and energy of classical music.”
“I’m fueled by my belief that classical music is for everyone, and my desire to make classical music organizations part of the intrinsic fabric of their communities. I am so proud to be leading the Ashland Symphony, a tremendous ensemble with such a great foundation with which we can accomplish these goals,” Repper said.
Both Lipsky and Swanson will be in attendance to view the first performance conducted by Repper. In addition to Swanson’s Symphony No.2 “Lipsky”, the orchestra will also be playing Brahms’ epic Symphony No.1, a piece he spent over twenty years perfecting. Repper promises that listeners will be transported to the European Alps, where you can hear the mountain horns sing and breathe crisp air.
“It’s a further thrill to perform this work for the composer, and for the person to whom the piece is dedicated,” Repper said.
“Commissioning music is a way to support composers as it guarantees the composer financial compensation for a new work and guarantees that the work will be performed. A commission is also a wonderful way to honor someone or an event,” Executive Director Buckner said.
To learn more about Ashland Symphony Orchestra and those who bring their many skills there, visit their Facebook page. The event takes place October 7th at 7:30pm, with a pre-concert chat at 6:50pm and a reception following. Donate to ASO here.
