Gabriel Gordon

Very pleased to say that I have been invited to participate in both the International Conductors Workshop and Competition in January, as well as the Denver Philharmonic Internation Conducting Workshop, Concert and Competition in February! So grateful and excited to learn and conduct for amazing musicians, see some wonderful colleagues I haven’t seen in many years, and taking my career to the next steps! More details to come so stay tuned… Eva Artistic Management photo by Affinity Photo Studio

My week so far:

Sunday: USO audition - didn't advance - I'll get it next time
Monday: Study, study, study
Tuesday afternoon: 1st observation at Syracuse Arts Academy: thanks for the great feedback Micah Hirokawa!
Tuesday evening: 1st rehearsal with the New American Philharmonic preparing for Clytie Adam's Nutcracker next week!

What the rest of my week looks like:

Thursday: 2nd Nutcracker rehearsal with New American Philharmonic
Friday: Study, study, study
Saturday Matinee: Conduct Ballet West in "Rodeo" by Aaron Copland.

Also: Private lessons, classes, picking up kids from school, being their taxi, breakfast, dinner, homework, movies on Friday, etc...

So grateful to have such a full life!

I have been enjoying a return to this work which I have conducted with orchestra but without dancers in the past: Buckaroo Holiday was with the Santa Fe Symphony in 2009, and the rest of the dances were with The Albuquerque Youth Symphony in 2014. This time it will be with the dancers and orchestra at Ballet West with rehearsals next week, and a performance I will conduct on November 12.

Onegin is still on this weekend at Ballet West and it is a fantastic production with Jared Oaks conducting; if you haven't seen it yet do get your tickets - last weekend was among the best ballet performances I have ever heard and seen!

Enjoying the wonderful voices of 'u Pupu'a and Kirsten Chambers at our dress rehearsal last night at Chamber Orchestra Ogden with Music Director Michael Palumbo. The concert is tomorrow night at 7:30 at Weber State's Austed Auditorium. Don't miss it!

Last night was the first rehearsal for Chamber Orchestra Ogden's first performance on the "Browning Presents" Series with the incomparable Ta'u Pupu'a. It is really quite remarkable what Dr. Michael Palumbo has built here! The concert is this Saturday at 7:30 PM in The Austad Auditorium. Looking forward to the rest of the rehearsals this week!

Glad and grateful to be back with the wonderful people of the New American Philharmonic rehearsing Scheherazade and Morning, Noon, and Night Overture by Von Suppe. The concert is at 7:30 on October 7th at Ogden High. We will be working hard until then!

Great to be "back in the saddle" again with Ballet West and Jared Oaks rehearsing Aaron Copland's Rodeo

I have been sad about this great man's passing over the last few days, and I can't let it pass without posting about him. To me, Larry Rachleff exemplified the saying, "Who you are in life is who you are on the podium" and he was a master on the podium and in class. Donald Schleicher just said in a workshop that he was "the greatest living conductor today" and I believe it. The few times I was privileged to learn from him were revelatory, and the conversation we had afterward over drinks about Beethoven 9 even more. What I will remember most was he was just kind. Rest in peace, Maestro, and thank you for everything.

Edit: Just so everyone understands, I am NOT moving to New York - this job is in Syracuse, Utah, and is part-time for now- cheers!

Thanks so much for the birthday greetings; it was so amazing to hear from everyone! For my birthday present, I signed a contract to become the next orchestra director for the Syracuse Arts Academy. Ever since I went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, I have wanted to become a part of an educational institution that integrates the Arts into its curriculum, and I am very excited to join this team. I will still be able to do everything else I do and I look forward to helping this program grow. Thank you Syracuse Arts Academy!

Office tonight: The Edward Kenley Theater again with one day to re-arrange, practice, and perform my solo arrangement of our own National Anthem opening up for the Davis Arts Council summer concert series and their group for tonight, a " Bread" tribute band called "Toast". They were sold out and had a late drop-out so I was happy to help!

This summer, I am focusing on my Youtube channel and going for the required 1000 subscriptions to monetize by September. Here is a sample of what I am up to this week: The "Dance" by Joseph Jones and the last movement of Vivaldi A minor audio will be recorded, Bay Leaf Flavor and a few other one-minute pieces I commissioned months ago will finally be put on video, and I am starting to prepare for the next season at Ballet West where I will start by covering for Jared Oaks for the ballet Onegin. Once September comes I will be really busy again am going to get as much done on the channel as I can. If you haven't already done so and like my videos, please go to gabrielgordon.net/youtube and subscribe as I will be putting out a lot of great content this summer!

Today is the 4th of July and this picture of our flag mirrors my feelings about our country. Still there, but fading and eroding at the edges and inward. This country is like a string quartet: if half of us perform at one tempo, and the other half another, we get what's called colloquially in the music business a "train wreck". People don't have to agree on what the correct tempo is, or even like each other, but we do have to agree on how to move forward. No matter how frustrated you are folks, the way forward is together, or UNITED. When we stop all the noise we are making and truly Listen to one another, we will get our edges back and come up with solutions that don't take away anyone's rights. I still believe that is possible.

Come if you can!

Tonight's the night.

I performed two concerts yesterday at Our House Assisted Residence and at the Whalen Veterans Home thanks to Ogden City! Just one more on Monday to close out this series. It has been so rewarding!

Thanks again to Ogden City for making it possible for me to perform for these great residents at Garden Assisted Living! Whenever I do this, someone inevitably comes up to me to tell me that they used to play an instrument. I love bringing people back to good times in their life!

Had a great morning performing for the residents of Lomand Peak Nursing and Rehabilitation. Thank you Ogden City for making this possible!

My view tonight for Chamber Orchestra Ogden's first rehearsal for their annual Untamed Pops concert this Saturday at 7:30 at the Ogden Amphitheater. It's free, and it's gonna be fun so come on out!

Tonight at 7:30 PM, please come support Ukraine refugees through Stella's House at the Capitol Theater with the Ballet West Orchestra, dancers from Ballet West, and special guests The Ogden Camerata performing side-by-side. I am privileged to be playing this powerful "Requiem" by Igor Loboda and conducting Verbytskyi's "Symphony #1". Verbytskyi is the composer who wrote the Ukraine National Anthem and was a gifted classical composer in the style of Beethoven. This is a program filled with beautiful works of all Ukrainian composers, and tickets are only $25. Please come if you can and support these brave people in this amazing country!

Rehearsal for second Ukraine benefit at Ballet West: performing for those who are less fortunate and are in need is even more fulfilling than normal. This Tuesday, at The Capitol at 7 PM, come listen to amazing Ukrainian music you have never heard before, to help refugees through Stella's House here in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $25. See you then!

Plans for tonight?

Please consider joining us at The Monarch, 455 25th St., Ogden at 7:30 PM tonight for a benefit concert to help displaced Ukrainian families. The concert features musicians from the Ogden Camerata, Ballet West Orchestra, and Vocal Motion Show Choir, and will be directed by Gabriel Gordon. The concert is free to attend, but all proceeds will go to Stella's House, a SLC-based charity that helps Ukrainian refugees. You can read more about them here:

https://www.ukrainemoldova.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/496291618896845?ref=newsfeed
**Note: there is road construction around 25th Street; please consider this in your plans when driving to tonight's concert

My latest podcast is up on all the podcast platforms and here on Youtube! It's a great conversation that Jared Oaks, Music Director of Ballet West Orchestra, and I had recently in his dressing room in-between shows. Enjoy!
https://rfr.bz/f4cpcaw

Orchestral Conducting vs Ballet Conducting | | |Please follow and Subscribehttps://www.GabrielGordon.nethttps://www.facebook.com/gabrieltheartoflisteninghttps://www.ins...

This week's big subject of study. Although Shostakovich was Russian, he was a dissident of the dictator that ruled his country at the time. He said that he was referring to himself and his own people in his dedication - not just to the other dictators in Europe during World War II. Unfortunately, this is pertinent today and so is a part of a project I will announce very soon. Look out here for it!

I had the pleasure of teaching a clinic with Krystal Tippett and her wonderful Farnsworth Middle School Orchestras and Choir who were just in from Idaho today. What a pleasure to work with hard-working string players and an amazing sounding choir. Bravi Tutti and have a great trip!

The Ogden Bach Festival 's final performance with Chamber Orchestra Ogden with Michael A Palumbo and the WSU Choir with Mark Henderson at the Ogden Tabernacle is tonight: Ogden Bach Fest: Concert #3: Ogden Tabernacle and I want to wish everyone a big Toi Toi Toi - come if you can!