JoAnn Falletta
From left to right: Florent Schmitt, Musique sur l’eau, Op. 33; Reinhold Glière, Symphony No. 3 in B minor; Jack Gallagher, Symphony No. 2; Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Promenade, Gnomus
With today being the last day of the celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to focus on the career of another pioneering conductor, JoAnn Falletta.
As a student she earned degrees from Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in her native New York, where she studied Guitar and Orchestral Performance. It was the study of the guitar that provided her with a keen understanding of instrumental color and texture which, in their own way, did much to contribute to her career shift from performing to conducting.
Falletta began her tenure as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic in 1999, marking one of the most significant chapters in her career. The orchestra became noted for their refined ensemble playing, adventurous programming, as well as an expanded recording presence. She has held prominent positions with ensembles such as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra, further establishing her international reputation.
Historically, JoAnn Falletta has also established a reputation for a commitment to repertoire that falls outside of the more traditional canon of music by performing the works of underrepresented composers, including the work of women and American symphony composers. Her recordings, many of which have been award-winning, have created a re-evaluation of a large body of orchestral literature, bringing many otherwise overlooked works into the mainstream, and resulting in their being heard by new audiences everywhere.
Known for a sense of personal responsibility to the living tradition of classical music, her career represents the creation of a bridge between generations that has allowed her to celebrate the past in the present, while laying out a path for the future.
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