In Saturday’s (4/16) Boise Weekly (Idaho), Harrison Berry interviewed Robert Franz just prior to his final concert as the Boise Philharmonic’s music director on April 17. “Franz said being music director is ‘kind of like being the coach of a football team.’ During his [eight-year] tenure, he has moved the organization forward in key areas of development, including expanding into a more ambitious musical repertoire, educational projects like the Boise State University Graduate Scholarship Quartet and putting musicians in classrooms … and partnering with other nonprofits like Opera Idaho and Ballet Idaho…. He has permanent gigs at the Houston and Windsor symphonies and the Fairbanks Festival…. Franz said he came to the Boise Philharmonic with an audience-centric vision for the orchestra: to surprise and astound patrons…. ‘They can see us on stage stretching and growing,’ Franz said. If he could change anything … Franz said he would incorporate more orchestra members into other aspects of the organization, like administration and leadership… ‘I trust and respect my colleagues tremendously,’ Franz said. ‘Blurring those lines can be scary, but not to me.’ ”
Posted April 21, 2016
