"We want to build an orchestra that represents our times and our region"

credit / Manu Vidal

Talking to Severiano Casalderrey for TEMPOS NOVOS magazine.

Original interview (in Galician) : https://temposdixital.gal/tag/real-filharmonia-de-galicia

Conductor Baldur Brönnimann (Basel, 1968) became the new head of the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia at the beginning of last year . In its first full season, entitled "Migraciones" (2023-24), its main purposes for the Santiago de Compostela ensemble were set, highlighting its social and educational commitment, in addition to a deliberate renewal of the repertoire. Soon, "Inconformistas" (2024-25), the new season designed by the Swiss director, will start, with whom we spoke to learn about the main challenges that RFG will present us with in the coming months.

Throughout your career you have worked with countless orchestras around the world. Your years as principal conductor of the Porto Casa da Música Symphony Orchestra (2015-20) and the Basel Sinfonietta (2016-23) stand out. In January 2023, you take on a new challenge in your career by relieving Paul Daniel at the head of the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia . How did you come to the orchestra?

I had already conducted the Royal Philharmonic as a guest conductor on two occasions. This allowed me to get to know the orchestra a bit. Then, during the second meeting, that's when the subject of programming came up. It was a time when the administration was thinking about which direction to take the orchestra. In all my previous positions I have always been very active, working carefully on strategic plans with my orchestras. We had conversations in which we exchanged many ideas, with the administration. We reflect on the meaning of an orchestra today in the public sphere, that is, how it can be meaningful to the society that finances it with its taxes; also the social impact, looking to the future, the need to break down barriers with classical music... Finally, after talking a lot about the matter, they asked me if I would be interested in working here, and that's how I got involved in the project.

As I see it, designing a concert program for an entire season involves a strong component of creativity, something that the general public is not always aware of. Broadly speaking, what are your main ambitions when you face this job?

For me, programming involves as much creativity as the performance itself. Whether it's music or a concert program, there is emotional and intellectual content that you can tap into on different levels. There are people who just listen to a program and enjoy it. There are others that see how the works are related, how they dialogue with each other, which is my real goal when programming.In terms of methodology, I always try to combine historical compositions with more current works, because the present is often excluded in classical music. I want to make it clear that this is a type of art that continues, that didn't just exist two hundred years ago. By connecting the past with the present, I also emphasize that this music affects us all, that it speaks about issues that are relevant to us, today, too. As a conductor, I want to make this bridge, to say clearly: "look, Beethoven wrote about things that are still relevant today". This is a key aspect for me. Another premise leads me to combine the known with the unknown. In that sense, I am like a chef able to offer you traditional dishes alongside so many new recipes. I trust that people will like it, as we have an intelligent audience here in Santiago. When the great classical works ―Brahms, Schubert, Mozart...― were performed for the first time , no one knew what they were going to hear. It's that direct impact, that element of surprise, that I want to bring back to the concert hall. I want people not only to come to listen to the works they already know, but also open their perspective a bit

"Migraciones" was to some extent a season of transition, although many of the ideas you had in mind for the RFG were already fixed. With "Inconformistas", we find confirmation of your vision for the orchestra, whose title is already a declaration of intent on your part. Since then, the need to take risks is felt. Who are these rebellious and misunderstood musicians and what will they offer us?

If one takes a look at the history of music, we find numerous essential classical works that, in their time, were often the most misunderstood. Precisely because of their radicality, and soemtimes their complexity, they broke with certain forms or traditions, they became monuments of an entire era. My intention is to revitalize this spirit in the way of listening to classical music, because I believe that there is an innovative and disruptive potential in music. That's what you find in almost every composer of the 19th and 20th centuries. That's why, when I put together this season, I had the idea to start with Beethoven, who was the non-conformist par excellence. He is like Goya in painting, the first to break with the established, with the academy... Then, I thought that other figures were groundbreaking throughout of history, realizing that almost all the greats enter in some way in this theme. In addition to Beethoven, I also wanted to highlight the figure of Berlioz, another essential radical. They are the spearheads of other unknown composers of the 17th century, as well as other contemporary creators. This is how this whole non-conformist panorama was born.

C/ Manu Vidal

After Helmuth Rilling, each of your predecessors incorporated certain composers into the orchestra's regular repertoire. In the case of Antoni Ros Marbà there were Brahms and Sibelius. Then Paul Daniel got us used to hearing Mahler more often in reduced orchestral format, as well as many English composers ranging from Elgar to Britten. In your case, I perceive a marked presence of North American authors, both in the past season and in the one to come. In this next year, Ruth Crawford-Seeger, Charles Ives, George Antheil, the adopted and Americanized Edgard Varèse and Frank Zappa, possibly the most transgressive musician in the history of rock, will play. Do you think we are talking about one of your main contributions to the Compostela public? 

Look, I simply want to make programming that represents the society in which we live. Something is changing in our environment, also in music, which is this more global reality. It is enough to walk around Santiago to find a multitude of cultures, not only tourists, but in the population. That's why I like global seasons, as in the case of "Migraciones", in which there were works from all continents. When we talk about "Mavericks", we must take into account the historical position of American composers, since they did not have the same tradition as us in Europe. In that sense, it was easier for them to break certain molds, such is the case of Charles Ives. He often borrowed from other works and enriched them by placing different overlapping layers that gave new meaning to the original. He created forms that at best in Europe would be more difficult to find. Why? Because it was a country with new perspectives, where the past was not as important as the future.In my youth, classical music was seen as a reality that came mainly from Central Europe, or from France and Italy. That changed a lot. Otherwise, we would hardly have Edgar Varèse, who left France behind to create a new beginning in the United States, away from the European tradition; or Frank Zappa, who wrote only what interested him, what he wanted to hear. Both had to be programmed together, as Zappa deeply admired Varèse. We also have a good number of female composers as part of the forgotten names: Ruth Crawford-Seeger is one of those names that nobody really knows. Certainly, my season speaks of changes on many levels. That is also the spirit of North America, and that is why it is so present.

Among the most outstanding novelties of this year is the creation of the figure of resident artist. This role will fall to the French violinist Amandine Beyer, renowned specialist in baroque violin. What will this close collaboration bring to the orchestra?

When I started thinking about the orchestra and what we could do, I had in mind its roots more linked to early music with Helmuth Rilling. Currently, I see the orchestral scene here in Galicia and I feel the need to expand it towards a new repertoire, but also towards the oldest. First, because they can, they have it in their DNA, since they come from there. Second, because there are many orchestras that exclude that repertoire completely. Much more Shostakovich than Haydn is played these days. And older works, Bach for example, are almost never played in a symphonic season. That's where Amandine's role comes in, crucial to reconnecting the orchestra with the world of early music. He thinks that Santiago is a place that lends itself to making old music, with all these historic buildings. Historic music are part of the identity of this place.

The addition of a resident composer was one of the novelties of last season. Sadly, the person nominated for this role, the Finnish Kaija Saariaho, died shortly before its start. This year the idea is revived with a new composer: Raquel García-Tomás, one of the most recognized Spanish talents of the last decade. What will this young creator surprise us with in her passage through the RFG?

Raquel is a composer with music that connects exceptionally well with audiences. Not only on a musical level, but also because of the topics she addresses, very relevant to our environment. She speaks our language, has great communication skills and brings closeness. In this sense, something I pursue with the orchestra is to break down certain social and artistic barriers, so that people can feel identified with Raquel and her music. On the other hand, there is a new generation of Spanish composers with enormous potential. Here, young talent is a palpable reality, both in composition and in other musical branches, but they don't always have all the opportunities they deserve. That's why I wanted to have Raquel as a representative of that generation, because as a Spanish and Galician institution we have the obligation to open the door to people like her. In this way, we show what happens and what people do in this country. I was very happy when Raquel said yes, because she will come here to work with the orchestra and the students. Hopefully even with the public too.

The frontpage of Tempos Novos. Original interview in galician.

Raquel García-Tomás will not be the only composer with a premiere next season. The young talent is completed with the compositions of Helga Arias from Bilbao and Miguel Matamoro from Vigo. What can you tell us about the respective pieces of these authors?

Miguel is a young Galician composer whom we support this year, as part of the Galician function of this orchestra. With this we seek to promote the creation of a Galician repertoire, an objective that we also support through our reading workshop of new works. It should be noted that, if we analyze a history, there is not much orchestral repertoire in Galicia. What is the reason? Well, the lack of orchestras, since ours and the OSG are relatively recent. In this way, we are helping to create a repertoire that at best, in fifty years, will be a reference for this region. Miguel is one of those outstanding composers, so he will certainly offer us an interesting perspective with his piece. That is the reason for this commission.I met Helga in Switzerland and, like Raquel, she is one of the main composers of this new Spanish generation. I'm always on the radar looking at what's happening around me. Thanks to our orchestra, we have the opportunity to help them find their own voice, because it is crucial to help to build great repertoire. If we help them, we help them write great works and, at the same time, we build the future of music here in Galicia.

The Escola de Altos Estudos Musicalis (EAEM) has shaped the orchestra's main educational commitment, within the area of ​​interpretation, almost since its inception. With your arrival, this pedagogical offer is expanding towards other fields such as direction and composition. Tell us a little more about these initiatives.

 One of the attractions of coming to work with this orchestra was the fact that it has a school linked to it. In southern Europe, it is very rare to see this kind of initiative consistent with an orchestral academy. It's a pretty unique look that many orchestras wish they had. I've always loved working with young musicians, because it's something that brings you a lot of positive things. As in the orchestra, this year we will apply the same dynamic connecting the students with the present. We will expand the panorama, teach new interpretation techniques, incorporate innovative theoretical classes... And, of course, we will make a stronger and more direct link with the weekly work of the orchestra.

What differences do you establish at an interpretative level between the students of the EAEM and the reinforcements of the orchestra?

Students at the school are in the process of training, so the approach to working with them is entirely pedagogical. We teach them how to work in sections, how to tune, how to integrate everything and play together in a large ensemble... They bring their talent and we give them professional training to get the most out of the orchestra. All this is built throughout the season, specifically in the ten programs they do with us each year. At the beginning, there are many who play very well, but are lacking in many aspects of orchestral technique. Then you see the progress. As could be seen at the end of last season, the students improved so much that their contribution was in many cases equal to that of the staff musicians. On the other hand, reinforcements are something else. They are hired to fill a position as they are already recognized professionals.

The training program also includes the figure of the assistant conductor, allowing access to the orchestra of new promises of the baton. This place finally went to Sebastian Zinca. How was this complex selection process?

It wasn't too complicated. I've always had assistants, so I know the process well. Conducting is not learned sitting at a table; it is very important to work directly with the reality that is the musicians. Therefore, this position was one of our priorities to help foster new talents in orchestral conducting. So, we published the call, to which one hundred and fifty directors applied. And that the requirement was to speak Spanish, otherwise there would have been four hundred. Then, from videos, resumes..., we selected eight to do live auditions. Of these eight, four went to the final stage, which consisted of a public concert. The final decision rested with the orchestra, the audience and also the evaluations made by both myself and the administration. That's how we chose Sebastian Zinca.

Nor should we forget the usual educational concerts, so important for the formation, in this case, of new audiences...

I always try to make the didactic concerts fit the same theme of the season; first, to maintain thematic coherence, but also to give a clear message about our goals in a general sense. For us it is essential to create new audiences, who can be surprised and fascinated by the experience of listening to a live orchestra. I hope that at some point we can develop our own projects a little more and thus continue to expand this didactic approach. In this case, there are the non-conformists again: Beethoven, Ives and the third one is... Satie.

Given your profile, perhaps a bit more contemporary music would be expected. This season, important recent hits can be heard such as Dance (2019) by Anna Clyne, Speaking Drums (2016) by Peter Eötvös or the famous recreation of ' Vivaldi's Four Seasons ' (2012) by Max Richter. Even so, more current creations by composers who are already part of the canon are missing, including names such as Olga Neuwirth, Thomas Adès, Julia Wolfe or Andrew Norman, although unpublished in RFG programs. What is your vision for the future?

Without a doubt, these are names that I want to include in our programming. The thing is, the orchestra has fifty or so musicians, so some composers are easier for us to do than others. In addition, we also have to build an interpretative path with the orchestra. In that sense, I see a plan two years ahead so that the orchestra can get used to playing a certain type of contemporary music. In other words, you must get used to playing languages ​​that are not yet so common.Then, we must keep in mind that contemporary music can be anything. You mentioned Richter, which is contemporary music because it was made in our day, but with a simple style with clear pop influences. From here, we can go to the most complex and complicated, and that would also be contemporary music. I would like not to exclude any of these approaches. For this, it is essential to go little by little, so that both the orchestra and the audience can understand how to relate to this repertoire; hence the importance of communicating it consistently, so that it is clear that what we do is relevant. I have made a lot of contemporary music in my life because I like it immensely, since I see joy in its richness. As I said, the orchestra is in a process that will allow us to better cultivate this music.

What composers would you add to my list?

Well, a bunch of them: Helmut Lachenmann, Clara Iannotta, Rebecca Saunders..., and many others.

Having said all of the above, we can affirm that the Royal Philharmonic is undertaking the biggest renewal in its entire history. It should be noted that changes are not always well received by everyone, including the public. How do you see the assimilation of these changes by the Compostela audience?

First of all, I think we have a very intelligent audience here. But it is essential that we do not treat it with distance, but quite the opposite. Fostering dialogue is something I consider essential. Therefore, in the middle of last season, I wanted to hold a meeting with our subscribers, where opinions of all kinds emerged. It was a magnificent opportunity to hear many opinions and get to talk with everyone. Also, when people tell me that they don't understand why certain works are programmed, I feel that something must be done to help our public and make sense of the whole concept. In general, there is a very large acceptance, despite having changed quite a few things. Also, something I've learned throughout my career has been to never underestimate the public. Sometimes, the riskiest music is the one that gets the best reactions from people, which is always positively surprising. In my case, I tend to present the more difficult music with the much more understandable one. It would be nonsense to exclude those more complex things, because they are also a reflection of our society. If we look back, many works were not understood at first, so making them known forms another of our duties. For me, all these changes, these new ideas, shape that joy of discovery and that need to share a journey together. That is our job; in short, to act as a bridge. I am aware that there is great curiosity on the part of the public, which in turn knows that we do things that are not done in other places. This explains the feeling of pride that the citizens give to their orchestra.

Finally, we can close this conversation by talking about some of your future projects outside the FRG. Are there any short-term challenges that you would highlight in your work with other national and foreign orchestras?

When I'm not in Galicia, I'm mostly on the road I have a few orchestras that I go back to every year. There are always other new orchestras that I collaborate with as a guest conductor. Above all, what I like is that they are a little special projects, because that is my world. In addition to conducting, I am leading the program for young conductors at the Lucerne Festival, where there are many plans to develop in the coming years. These conductors are excellent multipliers of new ideas, capable of providing inspiration, imagination and vision for the future. That's where I focus the other fundamental part of my work.

Talking with Baldur Brönnimann in Santiago de Compostela / Jorge Calvo