'It takes the heart of an adventurer'

By Alastair Willis

When you listen to music, what do you hear? For starters, you hear a lot of different notes, some played faster, some slower, some played louder, some softer. You might hear interesting rhythms, or the grouping of a particular set of notes to make a harmony. If you listen more closely, maybe you recognize the sounds of different instruments, such as the cheerful chirping of a flute or the brassy bellow of a trombone.

As a conductor, my job is to listen for these things—and a whole lot more. I have to make sure that the orchestra members are playing the right notes. I have to be certain that players are making their entrances at the right times. I keep my ears—and heart—attuned to the mood and feeling of the music, too. There's a lot to listen for that goes beyond what the notes on the page are saying. But that's part of the fun of my job.

It's hard to remember a time when I wasn't interested in music. I come from a musical family with sisters who played the piano, so it just seemed natural for me to start playing the piano, too. Later, when I was eight or nine, I got involved in musical theater. My first part ever was as Wharton in "Wharton's Christmas Eve Adventure." I had to wear green tights on stage because Wharton was a frog!

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