“As the world has changed, so have music circles, making room (albeit slowly) for men and women of all nationalities, sexual orientation and racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds,” writes Phyllis A. S. Boros in Wednesday’s (3/4) Connecticut Post (Bridgeport). “And, of course, that’s the way it should be, says Chelsea Tipton II, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s new principal pops conductor, who is black. Tipton, starting his first season with the NHSO, said in a recent chat from New Orleans (where he had a three-night guest-conducting gig with the Louisiana Philharmonic) that it is his experience that wherever he performs musicians want their ‘conductors to be efficient as possible with their time during rehearsals (where all the important musical decisions are made) and to help them play as well as they possibly can.’ … Tipton, 50, who lives in Beaumont, Texas (where he is music director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas), said the NHSO post is his first as a pops conductor.… In the future, Tipton would like to add more pops concerts to the season and to expand the number of venues in which they’re offered. And to collaborate with NHSO Music Director William Boughton to continually create inventive pops programs.”
Posted March 6, 2015
