Yesterday, I sat down and had a chat with Maestro David Hattner, conductor of the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Their Winter Concert is to take place at the Arlene Schnitzer Auditorium on Saturday evening of this week. I attended an orchestral rehearsal last week. That made me think of a number of questions I wanted to put to David and which I thought may interest you. Here is my recollection of our discussion (I do make notes but do not use a recorder.)

When you heard Portland Youth Philharmonic for the first time, what did you feel you could bring out in them and what unrealised potential did you see?

I first conducted them in my audition for the position of resident conductor of the orchestra. I could immediately see that they had spirit, talent and were playing within a system that obviously works. These were all the right basic ingredients I knew I would need to be successful and for them to be successful. A part of my function (as it is for all conductors) was to mix those ingredients to taste. They had recently had four guest conductors and that is asking a great deal of any orchestra. Any conductor wants to put his own stamp on his orchestra and to infuse it with his own musical personality. Indeed, on some level any teacher wants the pupil to play like he or she does. I realized that to do that I would need to empahasise the basics: rhythm, line and intonation and that if I could do that other necessary aspects would almost automatically follow. So far I believe that approach is working.

If you could be a fly on the wall of the Schnitz after a PYP concert, what would you like to hear members of the audience say about your orchestra?

I would want them to come out of a concert saying that it was meaningful and that it moved them. I would want them to say “I have never heard that piece before but now I want to hear it again!” or “I know that piece but I have never heard it in quite that way and it pleased me." I would hope that people would be impressed by the maturity these young people display in their work - particularly having regard to the fact that the average age of the students in the orchestra is a little under 16 years old! A part of that maturity is reflected in the self-discipline they exhibit in performance and in rehearsal. This has been a part of the orchestra's culture from the very beginning.

Shostakovitch's Symphony Number 5, which is the marquee work in this Saturday's concert, is a very difficult work to perform. What factors inform your programming decisions?

One of the important factors is that in each concert there must be something in which everyone can play. We have instruments as disparate as harp, percussion, tuba - he whole orchestral range - and we can't just ignore any of them entirely.

I reserve our hardest piece of the year - the biggest mountain the students are going to have to climb - for our Winter Concert because this is the concert for which we have the most time for preparation. That is not to say that we don't perform challenging pieces in our other concerts (the Prokofiev piece in our last concert, for instance), but they would probably not be of the length of, say, the Shostakovitch. It is interesting, I think, that this orchestra has played Shostakovitch's Symphony Number 5 once per decade for the last fifty years. It is 51 years since it was played by them for the first time - at which time the symphony had been written only about 20 years before! So, this orchestra has a history with this piece.

In this concert we are also playing a work by an alumnus of PYP, Kenji Bunch (picture above). Kenji was once upon a time in the back row of the orchestra's viola section. Over time he became the principal viola player, before moving on and studying at Julliard. Now he is back as a composer to hear the orchestra play his piece For Our Children's Children. His days as a viola player are not over, though, and he will be joining his old section in the performance of the Shostakovitch.

For Our Children's Children begins with a clarinet solo. You were yourself a professional clarinet player in New York for some years. Are you tempted to play that part yourself?

No. I think it will be better for everyone if I stay on the podium!

This concert includes a performance of Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for violin and orchestra. The soloist will be your concert master Natally Okhovat. Please tell me something about her.

Natally had the opportunity to play this work at this concert as a result of winning our annual concerto competition. She truly earned this chance, and I believe she won by being the best-prepared artist in the competition. Last year, Natally was the leader of our second violin section, a section of the orchestra which excelled, in no small measure due to her leadership. This year she is our concert master and is bringing the same skills of leadership to that section and they, too, are showing exceptional improvement. When she has the section to herself to rehearse, she has a way of being firm while being gentle* and sets a great example in her state of preparedness. She also holds people accountable for their efforts and results and the upshot is that when the section comes back to me they are stronger for her input and discipline.

The Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is a hard piece for a young player, isn't it?

Yes, it is. But, it is what I would call 'wide open' in that it is susceptible of many interpretations. As a soloist, Natally has a musical point of view of this piece and her playing displays refinement and sophistication. It is going to be great!

I take it that her abilities stretch beyond the rehearsal room.

Natally is remarkable as a musician, scholar and leader. She tells me that she wants to pursue a career as a surgeon. Currently she is a junior but I have no doubt that if that is what she finally decides to do, then she will do it.

Maestro, beyond this immediate concert, what do you wish for this orchestra?

My greatest wish for the Portland Youth Philharmonic is that one day I will be able to turn around on the podium, look out at the audience and see a full house. There are so many people in Portland who attend orchestral concerts but have never heard the PYP. I am quite sure that if they were to hear us once they would want to come again.

I have no doubt about that either, David. I hope it happens soon. Best of luck to you and your orchestra on Saturday! I am very much looking forward to being there.

Thank you, Operaman!

This concert will take place at 7:30pm on Saturday 13th March and tickets may - AND SHOULD IMMEDIATELY - be purchased here: http://www.portlandyouthphil.org/

*I have noticed that this is a hallmark of Mestro Hattner's approach to his students, too, but he was somewhat modestly dismissive of it when I mentioned that to him.