It all started with a standing ovation. When illustrious conductor (and later six-time Grammy Award-winner) Giancarlo Guerrero first came to guest-conduct Nashville Symphony 20 years ago, he didn’t know that he would eventually return as Music Director for 16 years. The beloved maestro leaves quite a legacy, championing works of prominent American composers through various mediums, and the Nashville Symphony commissioning and premiering nearly two dozen pieces and 21 commercial recordings under his direction. Guerrero will be transitioning into a Music Director Laureate role as he embarks on a new chapter as Music Director Designate for Sarasota Orchestra in the fall. His final performances as Music Director for the Nashville Symphony will take place from May 23 to 25.
HOW IT STARTED: I came to Nashville, the first time, to guest-conduct and Maestro Schermerhorn was the Music Director of the orchestra at the time. They had just started building the Schermerhorn and I came in May, which was kind of towards the end of the season, and back in the day, they didn't have many guest conductors that came along because the Maestro Schermerhorn mostly took care of the whole season. It definitely should have been kind of a one-time [thing] for me. As it happened, the week before I arrived in Nashville, the Maestro unexpectedly passed away. Then my concert, which was taking place the week immediately after that, was kind of his memorial in many ways, a celebration of his legacy. My week went well enough that they invited me back. Luckily, I was able to do the opening of the season in September, and then the final concert at TPAC, which was May of the next year. The main rule was not to change any of the Maestro’s plans for the season, and I was more than happy to keep them. They opened the hall, a couple of years went by, and I kept coming back as a guest conductor, and eventually, they offered me the position. So, in many ways, it was kind of accidental.
FULL CIRCLE: The first concert I conducted after I was announced as Music Director was very special because I remember walking on stage for the first piece, and even before I conducted a note, there was a standing ovation. That was kind of a nice reaffirmation that the audience was 100 percent in agreement with my appointment. So that was a beautiful, welcoming moment for me to come into this new position. When I decided that it was time for me to move on from Nashville after all my tenure there, I wanted to tell the musicians first before it became official and public. I told the players about it, and remember, I've been with them now for about, you know, 16, 17 seasons; I have appointed many of them to their positions. When I finally announced it to the players, it was very special that they started clapping, tapping their bows. But at the very end, kind of spontaneously, they all stood up and kind of gave me a standing ovation, which was very, very special. It was almost like coming full circle, arriving with a standing ovation with the audience, and then having the musicians themselves do that at the very end. That was uniquely special. I still get choked up just thinking about it because it was very unexpected and spontaneous. In many ways, it kind of reaffirmed that this has been not only an incredibly successful tenure, but that this was the right time and there was still a great mutual admiration between myself and the players and vice versa. We are now looking forward to another different type of relationship.
NOT A GOODBYE: Don't think for a second that I am giving up Nashville Symphony. This place has too many memories and too many things that are very close to my heart and to my family. Now, I am becoming the laureate, so for the next couple of years, I'll keep coming back as a guest conductor and kind of watching from the sidelines, seeing the next chapter of the orchestra, and the next music director. I'm looking forward to seeing what that turns out to be, but I have to say that it has been an incredible, wonderful ride with this great orchestra.
TO HIS YOUNGER SELF: It always gets better, especially with this career that takes experience and a little gray hair. It's because, as a conductor, your instrument is this dragon with 100 heads, and when you are first getting a chance to play this instrument, you're stepping on a lot of landmines and learning on the spot in front of 100 musicians. At first you really feel like you're very lost and you don't know what you're doing, but the only thing that makes up for that is time — and I think that applies to anything. Experience and the teachings of life make things better, easier, and more predictable. I think in many ways that makes it more enjoyable because you're not quite as scared as you used to be before.