By Bob Shullman
At the Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich’s meeting on Wednesday, February 23, Jerry Pollack introduced Joshua Gersen with whom he conducted an informative question and answer interview regarding Joshua’s thinking about his approach to conducting and the music he loves as well as potentially becoming the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra’s musical director and conductor. Joshua Gersen is the fourth of the five candidates competing for that position who have appeared before the RMA. An artist of impeccable musical credentials, Maestro Gersen is widely respected as an engaging and inspiring conductor, able to communicate effortlessly with both young and established orchestras internationally. A native of the New York area, he has been music director of the New York Youth Symphony for the past five years and recently concluded his tenure as the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Joshua earned his undergraduate degree in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and received his degree in conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
When asked about his musical background, Joshua told Jerry that he believes it is somewhat “unique” as both of his parents were music lovers and they told him when he was older that he became involved with music when he was only one or two years of age. He could read music when he was about two years old and started taking piano lessons when he was only three years old. His recall is that he decided to become a conductor when he was only four or five years of age! When Joshua was then asked about the relationship between a conductor and the musicians in an orchestra, his response was a conductor is “there to help musicians to play their best.” He then went on to state that his way of conducting is all about non-verbal communication between himself and the musicians. Joshua then stated that he is a “working class conductor” and it’s all about his helping musicians to be their best using his right and left hands.
During the Q & A session towards the end of the interview, one attendee asked Joshua a very intriguing question: how he would make the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra more successful? His response was he would make the orchestra more successful by:
• Raising the quality of the music performed at the concerts by selecting more interesting music.
• Raising the visibility of the orchestra by collaborating with the audience that attends the concerts, and
• Maximizing the performance of the musicians; as he stated “…it’s about the team; it’s we, not I”
The following Saturday and Sunday, Maestro Gersen conducted the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra in a program of Eleanor Alberga’s The Golden Palace from Sun Warrior, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
Those interested in listening to the entire presentation, including his answers to many additional questions, may stream Joshua Gersen’s interview by clicking here (https://vimeo.com/681372916)
The RMA’s next presentation will be on March 9 with Frank McGinnis, a retired McKinsey consultant and currently a physical trainer at the Greenwich YMCA. His informative presentation will be about “Resistance Training and the Critical Role of Muscle in Aging”.
To stream this informative presentation at 11AM on Wednesday, March 9, click here (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85279324292?pwd=NjlyVUM5OUNVaGxjdUJGN1V4akdIZz09#success). This presentation will also be available on the local public access TV Channels, VerizonFIOS channel 23 and Optimum (Cablevision) channel 79.
RMA speaker presentations are presented as a community service at no cost to in-person or Zoom attendees. The RMA does request that all eligible individuals consider becoming a member of our great organization, and thereby enjoy all the available fellowship, volunteer and community service opportunities that the RMA offers to its members. For further information, visit www.greenwichrma.org or contact Michael Ambrosino (mail to: brooklynoil@yahoo.com) or Peter Stern (mail to: pmstern@optonline.net).
