Courtesy Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra
The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra with the DSSO Chorus in concert.
From Shostakovich and Bernstein to Prince and Celtic tunes, the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra’s new season has something for everyone.
Lake Superior Magazine’s managing editor, Bob Berg, had a chance to chat with DSSO Music Director Dirk Meyer about the upcoming 2017-18 concerts.
LSM: How do you select music for the DSSO program each year?
DM: Sometimes an idea for a theme comes first; sometimes a theme comes because you have an idea for a specific piece that you want to do. For this season, it was a little bit of a mix. The title of the season, “Revolutions & Reformations,” came from a historic event: celebrating 500 years of reformation in 2017. Up here, Lutheranism is, of course, very important. Additionally, there was one particular piece that I thought the orchestra should play and the audience should hear, and that’s Shostakovich Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917,” on the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia. And so this particular concert is all about revolution. Those two ideas were the starting point for this entire season, which offers a wide variety of music. There is truly something in the season for everyone.
LSM: Music from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story” will be featured in April. What have you learned from him about getting young audiences excited about classical music?
DM: He certainly has been a huge influence on me. I would almost want to say “mentor,” even though I never met him. You can learn so much by watching old videos of his. For example, when he talks about music in his “Young People’s Concerts,” he offers insights that increase anyone’s enjoyment of the performance, no matter their age. That is something I always strive to do. When I talk to the audience, I always have something specific to say about the piece. The other thing I learned from Bernstein has to do with conducting technique. Watching him conduct on those videos, you can learn more about conducting than anyone can ever teach you.
LSM: I’m guessing that one way to get younger people excited about your concerts is with shows like the New Year’s Eve tribute to Prince.
DM: Yes, I would hope so. For many years, we have programmed either really light classical music or pop and rock on New Year’s Eve because it’s so appropriate on that particular day. People come out, and they want to hear something fun, probably something they know. And they want to leave the concert hall pumped and ready to go celebrate. And so we thought that Prince, being a Minnesota boy, was the perfect choice for that concert. I do love Prince’s music. He was certainly one of the most outstanding pop and rock musicians of my time. The orchestra will play with a full band and a Prince impersonator who is really excellent. It’ll be a fun evening.
LSM: In a small or medium market like Duluth-Superior, what does it take to financially support a professional orchestra?
DM: Any nonprofit will tell you, of course, it’s never easy. If we were to charge what it costs to put on our concerts, they would be difficult to afford. The average ticket price would be $93. Currently our average price is $35 or $40. Orchestras, even if they’re doing well on ticket sales, can only cover about a third of their budget through tickets. Two-thirds must come from other sources, so the majority of funding must come from individual donations from people who love your organization and the concerts. They want to make sure that you’re around for years to come. We find ourselves in the fortunate situation that in Duluth-Superior we have a community that is supportive, values the arts and what we do with the orchestra. We have just completed a very successful fundraising campaign, which exceeded our goal of $500,000 for individual giving. The campaign is called the Heritage Fund, and we were quite overwhelmed by the support from the community.
LSM: Finally, how are you inspired by Lake Superior?
DM: For me, it’s two things that I tend to get inspired from in terms of my surroundings. It’s either being in nature, or being in a really old European city. For example, being in Vienna, a place with massive history of art and music, is very inspiring. Up here in the North, the beauty and vastness of Lake Superior is my inspiration. The weather is also so diverse, and it changes so quickly. It’s very much like a composition that can change very quickly and has a lot of moods within 10 minutes or half an hour.
DSSO’s season runs Sept. 23 to April 28, with concerts at the DECC’s Symphony Hall. www.dsso.com.
Season at a Glance
- Sept. 23: “Revolution” opens the season with Shostakovich Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917,” inspired by the Russian Empire’s collapse. Also, violinist Erin Aldridge brings Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto to life.
- Nov. 18: “Reformation” celebrates the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses and the Protestant Reformation. Works include Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5, “Reformation.”
- Dec. 2: Pops concert “White Christmas” promises family fun as the DSSO teams up with Lyric Opera of the North for music, costumes and the spirit of the north (3 p.m.)
- Dec. 31: Pops concert “Purple Rain” pays a symphonic tribute to the music of Prince on New Year’s Eve, with the full orchestra playing some of the pop icon’s biggest hits.
- March 17: Pops concert “Green Grass of Home” celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with Celtic music and dancing, and features guest artists from Duluth, including Gaelynn Lea, winner of NPR’s 2016 Tiny Desk Contest.
- April 28: “Reflections” offers “Symphonic Dances” from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” Also included are Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with pianist Peter Serkin, and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” illustrated with animated movies.