In Sunday’s (11/29) Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage), Elissa Brown writes that Anchorage Symphony Orchestra performances “feature everything from electric violin solos to whale noises to indoor fireworks to Alaska Native song and dance…. It’s not your typical symphony. And that’s exactly how Randall Craig Fleischer wants it. Now in his 17th season as conductor and musical director of the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, Fleischer—working closely with longtime Executive Director Sherri Reddick—has created a cultural powerhouse for Alaska…. Fleischer now conducts three orchestras scattered across the country: the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in New York, Youngstown Symphony in Ohio and the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra in Alaska, with about 80 tenured musicians in each…. Over the last 17 years, Fleischer has also introduced more collaborative projects to Anchorage…. The symphony’s list of collaborators [includes] the Anchorage Concert Association, Anchorage Opera, Cyrano’s Theatre Company, the Anchorage Museum, high school concert choirs, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, local filmmakers and more…. Ultimately, Fleischer’s goal is to extend the traditional audience.” Says Fleischer, “Ignore the stereotypes…. If you love music, there’s a high likelihood you will love symphonic music. It’s pure emotion in sound. It’s the original, unplugged.”
Posted December 2, 2015
