A Conversation with James Feddeck

Welcome back to The Cleveland Orchestra! What is it like returning after over a decade?

I have guest-conducted the Orchestra a few times in between, but to be back in this capacity is really exciting. When I left my position in 2013, I actually never moved away from northeast Ohio, although I seldom spent time here. I was always catching planes conducting elsewhere in the world —  mostly in Europe, but a lot also in the US. And so I was delighted when The Cleveland Orchestra asked me to return, because this is a place that was very important to my own musical formation in a lot of ways, through that position and, even before that, coming to concerts while I was a student at Oberlin. It’s a very important tradition and way of thinking about music, and it’s something that’s in my lineage, so it’s wonderful to be back.

As a student at Oberlin, you were not solely focused on conducting. How did you decide to become a conductor?

Well, I come from a completely non-musical family. But my family loved and supported me and my passion for music. I was a pianist, a church organist, an oboist, I played in an orchestra, accompanied, and did chamber music on all these instruments, and I started conducting in high school. So when it came time to go to conservatory, it never occurred to me that I would have to choose one thing. To me, music is music.

Oberlin was the only place that really welcomed me with open arms and said, “We’ll help you figure out how to be the musician you’re supposed to be, if it’s meant to be.” And it was at Oberlin that I started to conduct more and more. I discovered that I love the music, but I actually love the people more. I love the musicians that I work with, and the audiences that I meet when I conduct all over the world. As a conductor, you can only work with the people that you have and try to inspire the best out of people, and that’s what I try to do. 

Repertoire is a big part of working with and inspiring an ensemble; what was in your mind as you were selecting pieces for this year?

Well, the important thing to me is to build a great orchestra. The COYO program is a very strong program and a great tradition in and of itself. But when you are responsible for the artistic vision of an orchestra, you have to look at what the orchestra needs and move it forward. So I wanted to find repertoire that was going to build the skills of the of the orchestra — the rhythm, the tone quality, getting to the heart of pitch and intonation — the things that all musicians, but especially young musicians, have to develop. So looking at repertoire that would form a foundation for the future was really where I came from.

Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet on the first concert is such a dramatic story. But musically, it is a great vehicle for the orchestra to strengthen their rhythm and strengthen their ensemble playing on a very minute level. Requiring that kind of discipline gets an orchestra into very good shape very fast. And then, contrasting that, the Frank symphony is very appropriate for the orchestra to build a sense of sound and pitch. There’s so much layering of everybody playing the same melody and at the same time, that it gives the orchestra a chance to ask not just “are we together?” but actually, “how are we together?”. As well as been important pieces in the repertoire, it has been a very important way to start the season from a pedagogical standpoint.

Is there a particular piece this season you’re most looking forward to?

Oh, that’s so hard, because every piece is like a wonderfully wrapped present that we’ve inherited from those who’ve gone before us. If I had to choose one thing though, it would be Aaron Copeland’s Letter from Home on the last concert. I really have come to love that piece. I thought it would pair well with the “New World” Symphony, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of the US. The Copland is such a beautifully simple piece, and so sincere and heartfelt in its spirit. I’m really looking forward to it.

Any final thoughts to share with students and families?

Music is something that should be part of everyone’s life. I truly believe that, and I think the skills one learns in a music program that is solely about excellence develop a young person in ways that not many other things will.

I’ve encountered my COYO students from 2009–2013 playing in major orchestras I’ve guest conducted around the world, from New Zealand to London, to Chicago. Former students always come backstage to see me, too. I remember in Chicago after one of my last concerts there, we had about 50 COYO alums who burst backstage, and I was so happy to see them again. They’re incredibly successful in law, science, medicine, engineering — they are the top achievers. And I think that’s in part because of the discipline and attention to detail that’s required to be in a serious music program like this.

When I think about my own family, it might have been hard for them to understand certain things about what I was doing, but they sought out meaningful opportunities to allow me to develop to my full potential. So I try to look at every student here in this program to develop what resonates for them in their spirit. For some, that’s the music itself. For others, music is a vehicle that enables other growth and inspiration.