RPO music director wants to engage all

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has profoundly shaped who I am today. I remember sitting in Eastman Theatre as a child, long before I began formal musical training, and being absolutely mesmerized by the spectrum of sounds and emotions that an orchestra could create. I would leave the hall feeling as though I had been given a glimpse into a whole new world — one of limitless possibility in which my imagination, heart, and soul were set free.

I didn't realize it at the time, but the fact that I could enjoy such magical evenings right here in Rochester was an extraordinary gift. I was inspired by what I heard … so inspired that I decided to make music my life.

Now, as music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, I am determined to ensure that every member of our community has the opportunity to enjoy that very same gift — that they too can discover the magic of live symphonic music, performed by a world-class orchestra, in their very own city.

In today's society, with ever-increasing demands on our attention and competition for our free time, orchestras must strive to be dynamic, multi-faceted sources of inspiration. Many of our efforts at the RPO — from programming concerts to connecting in new ways via digital media — are geared toward engaging the community in an effort to dispel that lingering myth that symphonic music is somehow an "elite" art form.

As I interact with people around town, I'm surprised that many say they've heard of the RPO but they haven't ever actually heard it live. We'd like to change that. This July, the orchestra and I will present 10 concerts all over the Rochester region — many of them free of charge — including the Main Street Bridge concert on the Fourth of July.

We will continue to seek and create new opportunities to share music with the community. I'd like to invite you to send us questions and comments via Facebook or Twitter (@RochesterPhil) so that we can get to know each other, share ideas, and better serve this community. Our connection to this city has been the heart and soul of the RPO for nearly 100 years, and I'm thrilled to be back home in the culturally rich atmosphere that nurtured me as a young man. With your help, it's my goal to make the RPO a source of pride, joy and inspiration for every Rochesterian.

Ward Stare is music director of the RPO.