Cristian Măcelaru speaks with Interlochen Public Radio about 2022 Interlochen WYSO season as Artistic Director
Christian Măcelaru speaks with Interlochen Public Radio (Photo credits: Thomas Brill)
World Youth Symphony Orchestra 2022 Season Overview With Artistic Director Cristian Măcelaru
By Kacie Brown & Nancy Deneen
Interlochen Public Radio
June 23, 2022
Cristian Măcelaru shares his vision for WYSO's 2022 season and reflects on his experiences as an Interlochen student.
Interlochen named Cristian Măcelaru the World Youth Wind Symphony’s inaugural Artistic Director and Principal Conductor in 2019, but it wasn’t the first time he’d played a leadership role with the ensemble.
Before leading the Orchestre National de France, winning a Grammy and guest conducting the world’s premier orchestras, Măcelaru graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy and served as WYSO’s concertmaster as a camper.
Măcelaru spoke with IPR's Nancy Deneen about his experiences as a student at Interlochen and what’s in store for WYSO’s first “regular” season under his leadership.
Listen to the entire interview or read the edited transcript below.
On the World Youth Wind Symphony’s full return
This is a pivotal year, and not just because it's been two years since WYSO has been able to come back to its full size. Last summer, we did have a live, in-person season, but it was limited. We were distanced and had to observe so many protocols, which, of course, also had their own artistic value because they forced the students to think about music differently. The limitations also, I hope, gave them a much greater thirst for the full symphonic orchestra sound that WYSO can provide. And that's why, if you look at the list of the concerts we're having, you’ll see some really big, grand compositions. I wanted to give the students the experience I had when I was concertmaster of WYSO, meeting the musical Brahms, Bartok and Debussy for the first time on the Kresge stage.
On this season’s conductors
I wanted to bring conductors to the podium that are a good balance between the big, old conductors that have made a career already and the role models that are very close to the students’ age. I think it's so important for them to have examples and role models of who they can be tomorrow rather than have the students saying, “well, when I’m 80 years old, I will become a conductor.” I want all of them to understand that this is within reach today.
On his dreams of a future as a conductor while concertmaster of WYSO
I remember my very first orchestra rehearsal when I came to the academy. It was the first time in my life that I played in a truly symphonic orchestra. We played Manuel de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat Suite; I still remember. I had never heard the piece before. I didn't know what it was. And I remember sitting in the orchestra, and somehow, we all played together and made it through the whole piece in the first rehearsal. I had never experienced something like that.
In Europe and in Romania, where I come from, there isn’t a big tradition of symphony orchestra at the high school or even college level. Symphony orchestra is reserved for professional life, so I didn't know I could be playing already.
I absolutely fell in love with the idea of not just being immersed in sound but with this feeling when you’re in the midst of musicians creating music together. It becomes like the feeling when you jump in the water in a lake or swimming pool, and all of a sudden, the water covers you. For me, that's the music. It's that moment of complete immersion, where who I am, who the music is and who the people making the music are – we all become one. It's the most remarkable experience. It's here at Interlochen that I experienced that first, and I fell in love with it.
To read the full interview, click here.