“It’s a time of fresh beginnings for Arild Remmereit,” writes Stuart Low in Sunday’s (9/25) Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York). “The Norwegian-born conductor makes his debut Friday as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 11th music director. He’ll stride down a red carpet with the players to make his grand entrance into Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Then he’ll ascend the podium for an unconventional concert that firmly sets the tone for the entire season. It’ll include a pioneering piece by a woman composer (Amy Beach’s Symphony No. 2), dances by Viennese ‘Waltz King’ Johann Strauss Jr., and lesser-known charmers by Norwegian masters Johan Svendsen and Johan Halvorsen. … Fluent in English, German and Norwegian, he is a passionate talker who shapes conversations as if on an invisible podium. … He and his wife are looking for an apartment near the Eastman Theatre, both for the convenience and as part of his RPO mission. Unlike some European conductors who see their job beginning and ending onstage, he plans to take an active part in the community. … The RPO has lost no time in putting Remmereit’s public relations skills to the test. On Oct. 16, he’ll appear at a fashion show in the USAirports Hangar, conducting while models, wearing the latest fall dresses and lingerie, strut the runway during the Fashion Week of Rochester finale.”
Posted September 27, 2011
