“As Peggy Payne danced her fingers over the keys of the celeste, an enchantingly familiar tune chimed out, sending a collective gasp through the Civic Center Music Hall Tuesday morning,” writes Brandy McDonnell in Sunday’s (11/15) Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City). “ ‘Harry Potter!’ hundreds of schoolchildren whispered eagerly as the Oklahoma City Philharmonic keyboardist allowed John Williams’ Oscar-nominated movie theme to weave its magic. From the conductor’s platform, Maestro Matthew Troy beamed…. ‘I’m always super-excited to see the reactions of kids when they hear certain things,’ Troy said. … In his fifth season as the OKC Philharmonic’s education conductor, Troy, 35, also is preparing for the launch of the orchestra’s Discovery Family Series … designed for children ages 4 to 13 and their families…. The OKC Philharmonic offers 18 different educational programs aimed at various age groups, from grade-schoolers to grown-ups…. OKC Philharmonic Executive Director Eddie Walker said Troy has the right personality and skill set…. ‘It’s kind of a specialty for conductors…. The most important thing is that people say, “That was fun. I want to come back.” That’s the goal … and he believes in our mission the way we like to do it.’ ”
Posted November 19, 2015
