Thor Sigurdson - Conductor's Trap: How to Create Unity in an Orchestra
What’s the hardest part about being a conductor?
Can you become proficient in a second instrument in the second half of your life?
How does an orchestra function as a community?
These questions and more in this episode of Music Un-Tuxed.
Host Michael Jamanis welcomes special guest Thor Sigurdsson, a Juilliard-educated cellist, bassist, conductor, and founder of the Haydn Seek music program.
Thor says the biggest trap for a conductor is when s/he believes they are in control of the players.
Thor discusses the significance of community in music, the cooperative nature of orchestras, and his approach to conducting, particularly in community orchestras.
He shares insights from his 20-year orchestral career, the role of rhythm in creating cohesive performances, and the importance of humility and vision for conductors.
Thor also explores his passion for chamber music and the therapeutic nature of communal music-making.
Stay on until the end for a special performance of Bach's Sarabande from Suite No. 5 on cello.
About Thor:
Described recently as "red-hot" by Chicago Classical Review, cellist Thor Sigurdson has been thrilling audiences worldwide for over three decades with his unmistakably committed performances. The New York Times has singled him out for his "evocative, poised playing", and Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel has exclaimed, "Sigurdson is a dynamic player. He carves out phrases passionately. His technique is more than respectable; his tone is juicy."
Sigurdson received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School as one of the final students of the great Leonard Rose. Upon graduation, he was among the first cellists selected by Michael Tilson Thomas to perform in Miami's celebrated New World Symphony, an ensemble with which he performed and toured internationally for three seasons. He was subsequently hired as Associate Principal Cellist of the Florida Philharmonic, a post he held for 13 years, finishing his tenure as Principal Cellist. Over his 25-year orchestral career, he performed under dozens of legendary maestros, including Leonard Bernstein, Sir Georg Solti, and Seiji Ozawa. As a soloist and chamber musician he was a finalist in both the National Society of Arts and Letters Cello Competition and the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition.
Throughout his life, Sigurdson has always been a passionate advocate for young musicians, and he currently maintains a full teaching roster of both cello and double bass students. His past pupils have gone on to successful careers in both music performance and music education. He's also an experienced orchestral conductor, and he dedicates himself to working closely with youth orchestras wherever his career leads him.
Sought after as a superb studio musician, Sigurdson's cello solos have been featured on albums by Gloria Estefan, Extreme, Collective Soul, Zakk Wylde, Plácido Domingo, and many others. For over 20 years he's had the honor of being a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which presents the annual Grammy Awards. His own debut recording of favorite cello solos with harpist Nichole Luchs, entitled After a Dream, is now available.
After recently relocating his family to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his wife is earning a PhD in Social Work, Sigurdson is excited to pursue his solo career in earnest, and in between concert tours he remains committed to training young musicians in the greater Detroit area.
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