After Yaniv Attar guest-conducted in State College during the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra‘s 2014-2015 season, he says he was immediately impressed.
“The music-making was completely natural with this group, and one can get to a very high level in quite a short time.”
So when he was asked to take up the role of music director, taking the torch from Douglas Meyer, the group’s founding director and leader for more than two decades, he agreed wholeheartedly.
The end of May, Attar spoke with the Centre Daily Times’ Frank Ready about his new role in State College. Among the things they discussed was the difference between conducting large orchestras like the one he’s led in Bellingham, Wash. for the last two years, and the much smaller group in Pennsylvania.
“My goal as a conductor of a chamber group is to give (as much as possible) freedom and independence to the group. The less they need me or look at me, the better the result will be. This will mean they are listening and responding to one another. I want to inspire them, not disturb them. If I can’t help them be better, I have no right to stand on the podium.”
