Q and A's with David Curtis…
…artistic director David Curtis has worked with the Stratford-based OOTS, shaping it into a gutsy and versatile group… The Guardian
 How did you first become interested in music?
A combination of an old violin left in our attic and an inspiring primary school teacher who created a children’s orchestra at Chipstead Valley Primary School, astonishingly there are members of the Halle and BBC Scottish orchestra who also owe their career to this same teacher
What formal musical training have you had?
I went to the Royal Academy of Music studying viola and chamber music but then continued studying privately with some of the great teachers and performers such as members of the Amadeus String Quartet. But learning never stops, especially in the arts, and recently I was fortunate to be awarded an Arts Council Grant which has enabled me to continue studying with the great Finnish conducting teacher Jorma Panula
Are any other members of your family involved with music and did this influence your career?
No, and I think they’re all rather puzzled! But my parents, and especially my father were always very supportive
When did you start conducting and why the switch from playing?
I did a little conducting at school; and during a recent clear-out of my parents’ house I found a picture from the Croydon Advertiser of me with very long hair conducting the Croydon Youth Orchestra. For most of my professional career I played viola in a string quartet with a very high national and international profile, the Coull Quartet, but as Orchestra of the Swan and my other freelance conducting career developed it offered a great opportunity to develop my career in a very fulfilling direction. This may sound surprising but I believe that a career in chamber music can serve as a very good grounding for a conductor
What made you set up Orchestra of the Swan?
The director of the Stratford Festival approached me to see if it would be possible to create a chamber orchestra for Stratford and, having given some concerts in the town I felt that Stratford absolutely should have a very high quality orchestra to complement the RSC provision offering a genuine cultural alternative
How do you select the musicians/soloists?
The members of the orchestra are chosen in a variety of ways; personal recommendation from core players, audition, ‘talent spotting’ and so on but the qualities we look for are more important. Obviously technical and musical ability have to be a given but for me there has to be something else, a real enthusiasm for music and a desire to communicate and share their enjoyment with our audiences.
For our soloists we look for similar qualities, especially the ability to communicate and enter a dialogue with audience and orchestra and we have a policy of nurturing young talent in partnership with organisations like the Young Concert Artists Trusts as well as working with established soloists like Martin Roscoe who is performing with the orchestra in Stratford and Cheltenham this season
How do you fund the orchestra?
As with most orchestras and arts organisations OOTS receives funding from a variety of sources, public and private. Arts Council England, Stratford Town Trust, Stratford District Council and many other Trusts and sponsors. We’re particularly grateful to KPMG for sponsoring our Town Hall Birmingham Town Hall series and we’re actively increasing our income from sponsorship. The Olympics is going to take a massive amount of money from the arts so like many other orchestras we are very concerned about government policy in this area
How do you think the orchestra compares to others across the country?
We have very clear idea of our own particular values and aims. OOTS has a national reputation for performances that combine accessibility, innovation, enthusiasm and excitement. We engage our audiences as directly as possible and I hope all these qualities combine to give Orchestra of the Swan concerts something special. With 4 and 5 star reviews in the Guardian, Birmingham Post and Classic Fm magazine for example it seems that the critics think we’re getting it right…
Tell us a little more about your work abroad?
I enjoy travel and music so working with orchestras abroad is an ideal way of combining these passions! I’ve been fortunate enough to conduct in Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Romania, Sweden, USA and especially in Finland where I work regularly with the Mikkeli City, Roveniemi Chamber and Yvaskyla Symphony Orchestras in concerts and on radio.
In the 2006 Nordic Music Days Festival I premiered four works by Nordic composers for Icelandic Radio and recently I’ve been in the Czech Republic again conducting the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in the prestigious annual Olomouc Dvorak and Policka Martinu Festivals. Mind you, you also have to be adaptable to foreign customs and ideals, smoked sheep’s head in Iceland and ice swimming in Finland, and yes, it was very cold indeed at -35
When you are not conducting or playing, what is your favourite pastime and why?
I enjoy running when I have the time and energy, I did the Stratford Marathon a couple of years ago, but I also enjoy cooking so I suppose it’s a good combination!
On the subject of favourites, who is your favourite composer and why?
Impossible to answer with so much great music to choose from and composers all have their own particular qualities. The humour of Haydn, timeless spirituality of Bach, the aristocracy and refinement of Mozart, Beethoven’s spirit; then all the wonderful music by contemporary composers that continue this wonderful journey…
What’s in store for you and the orchestra in the future?
Exciting times I hope. The last 10 years have seen the orchestra establish itself as a key player in the musical life not just of Stratford but the wider region and nationally, especially in our commissioning and presentation of new work. This gives us the springboard to take the orchestra on the next step, where that will end who knows, but it’ll be an exciting journey for me, our players, composers and especially our audiences |
