Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2007 - (Page 10)

music • bookshelf • gala ARTS & CULTURE music PIANIST TURNS CONDUCTOR This fall, Eugene Albulescu stepped onto the conductor’s podium as the Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra’s second director of music. After 10 years at Lehigh, first as lecturer and major students with the opportunities most then as professor of practice, Albulescu universities reserve for majors, such as direct follows a distinguished line of “pianists contact with world-renowned artists. This turned conductors,” including Christoph season, students will work with Philadelphia Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Daniel Barenboim. The Romanian-born citizen of New Zealand is “a great musician, a great technician, and he understands Lehigh’s mentality and students,” says Paul Salerni, professor and chair of the music department. As an internationally recognized musician, Albulescu’s so-called “infallible fingers of steel” have performed at the White House’s millennium celebration and at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Bassoon player Jeff Abel ’07 believes Albulescu will conduct as masterfully as he plays. “He is an outstanding musician and is respected in the music world, but he is also respected as a teacher,” says the master’s of education candidate. The orchestra Albulescu inherits was founded in 1993 by Paul Chou with only three students. When Chou resigned last For Albulescu’s debut on Oct. 19, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 while conducting from the keyboard. September, more than 100 members On Founder’s Day, he was installed as the Ronald J. Ulrich Chair in Orchestral and String Music. participated in the orchestra. Albulescu will groom these musicians to Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim and cellist fostered by renowned guest conductors like produce a consistent “cohesive sound with a Ovidiu Marinescu. Artists of this level normally JoAnn Falletta and Jung-Ho Pak, who, Abel distinctive personality”—a daunting challenge only visit schools like Juilliard or Curtis.” says, treated students as professional musicians. considering he will train an almost entirely difMost of the orchestra’s musicians are not “They worked with us at a very high level, ferent orchestra every four years. Fortunately, music majors, says Linda Ganus, program cobut understood that we were college students,” newly appointed professor of practice and ordinator for the music department. These Abel says. head of strings Timothy Schwarz will mentor students “could have easily gone to a conserAlbulescu will build on the foundation left the string players. vatory, but they choose to major in another by Chou and the guest conductors, says Salerni. Schwarz plans to cultivate a “unique string ﬁeld,” she says. “Eugene will inspire the students and grow the program,” he says, “by providing non-music The orchestra also integrates students with orchestra musically,” he says.—Becky Straw 10 lehigh alumni bulletin fellow musicians who are community members and faculty. A student may play alongside Rick Weisman, professor of civil engineering, or, occasionally, David Diggs, oboe instructor and professor of practice. Ideally, orchestral music reﬂects a healthy tension between musicians and their director, says, Albulescu. “You want to hear a very interesting dance between the creative head, which is what the conductor is, and the collective consciousness of the ensemble.” Although the orchestra lacked a consistent conductor last year, this “interesting dance” was PHOTOS BY JOHN KISH IV

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Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2007

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