Butler Conducts Estonian Orchestra

Lloyd Butler, BM ’00, resident artist and director of the Freed Center Orchestra, was guest conductor for the Parnu City Orchestra, an affiliate of the Parnu Philharmonia, in Estonia on April 17.

Butler was invited to conduct the orchestra as part of a podium exchange with the maestro of the Parnu City Orchestra, Juri Alperten. Alperten will conduct a performance of the ONU Symphony Orchestra in the 10-11 season.

The Parnu City Orchestra is a professional chamber orchestra associated with its larger parent organization, the Parnu Philharmonia. The orchestra presents two programs per month and the program Butler conducted was part of the regular season.

Butler arrived in Tallinn on Tuesday April 13 and had meetings to assist in a student’s student teaching abroad experience. On Thursday, he traveled to Parnu and met with the executive director of the orchestra. Friday April 16,  he had a full day of rehearsals with the orchestra.

“The orchestra was very professional and my work with them was well received. Following the rehearsal, I did an interview for ETV, the Estonian National Television Network. My interview and rehearsal footage was aired across the entire nation on the 6 p.m. news. The concert was held April 17 in the Parnu Concert Hall. The audience reception was good, receiving three encores. I conducted Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, and John William’s “Air and Simple Gift,” written for the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama,” Butler reports.

Although Butler’s return to the U.S. was delayed by the Icelandic volcano, he says,  “I am currently discussing with the Parnu City Orchestra management the possibility of an all musical theatre program with some of our musical theatre students. This program will also be performed in Mexico in the fall of 2010 and I am hopeful in Parnu at a later date as well.”

Published: Mon, 05/03/2010 - 3:04pm