Interview – Paul Freeman of Chicago Sinfonietta

Time Out Chicago
By Mia Clarke
May 18, 2011
Original Link

Since conductor Paul Freeman founded the Chicago Sinfonietta in 1987, the orchestra has striven for inclusiveness in classical music. Now billed as “the nation’s most diverse orchestra,” the ensemble extends its vision with innovative outreach programs that annually serve thousands of schoolchildren in the Chicago area.

Freeman, who concurrently held the post of music director and chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Prague for a decade starting in 1996, conducts his final concert as the Sinfonietta’s music director this week. His successor is Taiwan-born conductor Mei-Ann Chen, 37, who first blew us away in 2009 when she guest conducted the Sinfonietta in An-Lun Huang’s “Saibei Dance.”

Despite his upcoming retirement, Freeman remains a busy man. The 75-year-old talked to us on the phone from his Canadian home in Victoria, British Columbia, for eight hot minutes before turning his attention to more important business.

Congratulations on everything you’ve achieved with Chicago Sinfonietta. What are you most looking forward to once you retire? Will you stay involved in music?
I’ll still be doing some guest conducting, even though I won’t be doing the music directorship anymore. The demands of music directing are rather great and involve a lot of traveling.

Which Sinfonietta concerts have remained the most memorable for you throughout the years? What are some standout moments in your career?
That’s very difficult to say. It’s too difficult to answer. There have been so many concerts over a 24-year period. I made over 75 CDs with the Czech Orchestra and 13 with the Sinfonietta. I conducted hundreds of concerts with those orchestras.

But nothing specific stands out as particularly great?
I’ll put it to you very easily, as I’m in the middle of something very important right now. Whatever orchestra I’m conducting at one time has the greatest impact because I have to zero in on the music during that one period. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Yes, I do. How do you think the orchestra’s place in Chicago’s classical community has changed during the last two decades?
We set out to make it our social mission— which turned out to be our primary mission—to develop minority musicians onstage. We also have a large African-American audience, around 45 percent. That’s a large attendance for a symphony orchestra concert. I was at the forefront in developing this concept in terms of a diverse orchestra, audience, programming and so forth.

What makes Mei-Ann Chen a good match for the orchestra?
We invited eight younger conductors to guest conduct, and we had a meeting of the minds with Mei-Ann. There wasn’t much question about it. Things fell into place.

Your final concert, “Women in Classical Music,” celebrates the influence of female conductors, composers and musicians. What inspired you to choose this theme?
It highlights the diversity aspect of the orchestra. The works match each other well, and it’s also a nice welcome for Mei-Ann. Okay, how many more questions? I’ve got a lot going on right now.

Just one more. What are your strongest hopes and ambitions for Chicago Sinfonietta as the orchestra enters this new phase?
I would like to see the orchestra do more recordings. We made quite a few CDs but had to stop for financial reasons, and because the market is changing so much. I’d like to see the orchestra tour more. I also anticipate growth in terms of variety and scope of repertoire.

Chicago Sinfonietta presents “Women in Classical Music” Monday 23 at Symphony Center