According to Conner Gray Covington, one of the finalists in the running to be Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s next conductor, there is an unfortunate perception in current American culture that classical music is irrelevant. He has made it a life mission to change that perception, one stroke of his baton at a time.
Covington is one of five conductors who will direct a performance this season for the symphony.
Covington is excited to share an emotional expression for TSO’s "Season Opener: Joy!" It features the music of composer Quinn Mason's "A Joyous Trilogy," followed by Mozart's "Exsultate Jubilate," and Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 for the concert set for Friday, Sept. 13, at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
Toward a musical destiny
Covington reminds us that music is timeless, rooted in the lived, shared human experience. His experience was filled with moments listening to The Monkeys, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Elvis with his family. Covington admits to being mesmerized by his father’s Elvis impersonation. He was so mesmerized that his siblings tried to convince him that the mellow melodies that emanated from their radio were, in fact, those of his father.
“Although I denied that our dad was Elvis, there was always a part of me that wondered,” Covington said. His formal musical training began with a bribe from his mother, who offered to pay for a round of golf a month (a sport Covington continues to adore) if he learned to play an instrument.
He chose to play the violin for his middle school orchestra under orchestra director Mr. Robinson, whose kind and patient approach to music education continues to shape Covington’s practices today.
Covington went on to play in his high school orchestra, yet he recalls a distinct moment that changed his life.
“One day during my sophomore year … We were rehearsing the overture to Handel’s The Messiah, and for whatever reason that day, I became incredibly overwhelmed with emotion,” says Covington. “If I was going to pursue this career professionally, I knew I was going to need to make a big change in life.”
He took hold of his musical destiny and moved to Houston, Texas, to attend Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts. There, in the orchestra, he played symphonies by Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and many more. During this time, he fell in love and became admittedly obsessed with classical music. His time at HSPVA culminated in conducting the first movement of Mozart’s 29th Symphony. Covington was hooked!
Covington earned a Bachelor of Arts in violin performance at the University of Texas at Arlington. University of Houston. From there, he attended Eastman School of Music, earning a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting. After a few years as the Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony and the Music Director of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program, he returned for a degree in conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he worked closely with another mentor, the Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and The Metropolitan Opera, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
“The time that I spent listening to that amazing orchestra week in and week out was incredibly formative for me and had a huge impact on my musical aesthetics and beliefs on how an orchestra should play,” Covington said.
The language of music and the tools that shape it
Significant moments in his career have shaped Covington’s approach to conducting as more of an extraordinary form of communication.
For example, in 2016, he conducted hundreds of magical orchestral performances at Carnegie Hall, where he debuted with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and his four-year tenure with the Utah Symphony.
“I’m a big believer that music is a language.” Covington reflects on the words of 19th-century German poet Heinrich Heine, who states, “Where words end, music begins.” He believes music taps into emotions that are difficult to achieve through words alone. Like the languages we speak, the more we practice and train our brains, the better we communicate and listen.
The primary role of the conductor is to serve the music, and the best way to do that is to serve the musicians. According to Covington, a conductor should provide a clear and compelling vision for a piece of music while sharing with the musicians the tools needed to achieve said vision.
A conductor’s toolbox is never too full. It reflects the vastness and diversity of the instruments it guides. One essential tool is a keen ear. Another necessary tool is a precise baton technique.
“The more you can achieve with your hands as a conductor as opposed to stopping and talking, the better,” says Covington. Lastly, strong leadership skills, combined with preparedness, help round out a strong conductor who can profoundly shape musicians and music and deliver an exciting and moving orchestral experience.
Season opener
The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra is committed to engaging, enriching, and inspiring its community through music in its search for the next Music Director & Conductor. TSO has narrowed its search to five conductors: Daniel Black, Wesley Schulz, Kelen Gray, Yaniv Dinur, and Conner Gray Covington.
Each of these maestros has chosen a talented soloist (Covington chose Soprano, Amy Owens) and curated a special concert program that expresses their unique musical point of view for TSO audiences.
Covington is excited to share an expression of joy through the music of modern composer Quinn Mason, "A Joyous Trilogy"; Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate, and Dvorak Symphony's No. 8 in TSO’s Season Opener: Joy!
In a world where tiny screens dominate our attention, Covington shares his love of music with a smile. He hopes audiences can unplug for a moment and allow the music to fill them in a way that leaves them in a better mood than they arrived.
Covington aims to produce a live, energized musical experience, as well as dissolve an audience’s negative association they may have with modern orchestral music. He invites Tallahassee audiences to share his joy for music and those with whom he is blessed to create it.
If you go
What: TSO Season Opener: Joy!
When : 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13
Where: Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, 222 S Copeland St.
Cost: $35 - $64 per ticket; visit tallahasseesymphony.org
Contact : 800-224-0461 | info@tallahasseesymphony.org
Details: Information on all TSO Music Director & Conductor Finalist events at tallahasseesymphony.org
Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra exudes 'Joy!' with first of 5 visiting conductors
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