Crescendo Club: What Does a Conductor Do Anyway?

Albany Symphony Crescendo Club — What Does A Conductor Do Anyway?

Come to the Music Hub at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday, November 7, after our 3:00 pm performance or before our 7:30 pm performance to hear Albany Symphony violinist Paula Lynne Oakes and conductor Filippo Ciabatti bust various myths about what conductors actually do or don't do. You will take part in an interactive presentation as we identify common misconceptions and reveal the realities, including a few illuminating demonstrations.

Have you ever wondered what those mysterious baton movements indicate beyond keeping time and giving cues? And why is a conductor necessary if it doesn't appear as though the musicians are even watching them? Please join us for an enlightening dialogue and get answers to your burning questions, while also meeting some of the Albany Symphony musicians up close and personal. Your newfound knowledge will enrich your experience at future symphony orchestra concerts.

This event is a concert add-on. Passion & Power: Brahms & Elgar tickets must be purchased separately. Don’t have tickets yet? Bundle your concert tickets and Crescendo Club events in a Crescendo Club membership and save!

Presenters:
- Paula Lynne Oakes: A long-time member of the Albany Symphony's first violin section, Paula has held a stationary position since 2006. She has performed regularly with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Portland Symphony, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Pro-Arte Chamber Orchestra, and serves as Principal Second Violin for the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Paula completed an eighteen-year tenure with the Lavazza Chamber Ensemble and a five-year tenure with the Landmarks Principals String Quartet. The Quartet performed dozens of programs in the greater Boston area as part of the Music and Memory initiative, featuring specially designed programs that foster connections with memory-impaired residents in retirement communities and nursing home facilities. Before moving to Boston, Paula was a member of the St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra, often appearing as concertmaster and soloist, and she also played frequently with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Syracuse Symphony. After residing in Boston for many years, Paula and her husband, trumpet player Dana Oakes, have decided to move full-time to their residence in Parsonsfield, Maine. Apart from classical music, Paula has many passions, including political science, gardening, and knitting. In 2024, she completed a bachelor's degree in political science from Southern New Hampshire University. Currently, she is connecting with her heritage by attending immersion programs and intermittently studying and living in Berlin, Germany. Most notably, Paula will soon assume the position of Personnel Manager of the Albany Symphony.

• Filippo Ciabatti: Music Director of the Opera Company of Middlebury, where he made his debut with Fidelio in June 2023. He has conducted orchestras and opera companies across the U.S. and internationally, including Boston Baroque, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Opera North, University of Illinois’ Lyric Theatre, and the ICM Orchestra. His international engagements include performances with the Universidad Central Symphony Orchestra (Colombia), Aurora Festival Orchestra (Sweden), Orchestra Toscana dei Conservatori (Italy), and members of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Italy). In 2024, Ciabatti was awarded the Joel Revzen Conducting Prize, leading to performances with the Festival Orchestra Napa alongside soloists Ray Chen, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Time for Three. He is the founding Artistic Director of Upper Valley Baroque (VT) and serves as Director of Orchestral and Choral Activities at Dartmouth College’s Hopkins Center for the Arts. He has also served on the faculty of Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy and Opera Viva (Italy). filippociabatti.com

About Crescendo Club

Creating community within the symphony experience. The Albany Symphony Crescendo Club events take your symphony experience somewhere unexpected. Events take place prior to their respective concerts and are one-of-a-kind events that pair the music with a surprise guest, a local partnership, or an experience you wouldn't find anywhere else. It's a community for curious music lovers who want more than just a great concert, though you'll get that too.