Pass The Baton Ushers in Next Generation of Conductors

By Erin Lee

Photo By Erin Lee

It was a thrilling evening at the Amaturo Theatre at the Broward Center for Tuesday night’s inaugural Pass the Baton event.

Maestro Luke Frazier has created fresh and innovative programming for Symphony of the Americas, and Pass the Baton is the latest unique offering.

Five collegiate finalists were chosen from hundreds of applicants around the country:  Marina Elizondo Collado, Gabriel Levy, Isaac Smith, Aiden O’Shea, and Mica Weiland.

Each conductor took a turn in front of the symphony, showcasing their talents through each movement of Serenade for Strings in F Major by George Whitfield Chadwick, followed by A Suite of Copland.

The first half of the evening contained classical pieces, while in the second half the audience was treated to the pops: everything from “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” the latter of which incited a rousing sing-along from the crowd.

I brought my teenage son to the event. We had a wonderful time discussing each piece of music and its composers, the mood and tone, and how the conductors guided the players through the music with their own personal style.

By the halfway mark, I had chosen my favorite and predicted they would win the competition.

A QR code in the program gave audience members a fan vote, in addition to experienced judges Scott Flavin, Jon Robertson, and Brett Karlin. 

After a brief Q+A with each contestant, runner up Gabriel Levy and grand prize winner Aidan O’Shea were announced and met with applause. 

All of the participants have a bright future ahead of them!

The last show of the season Don’t Rain on My Parade: The Music of Barbara Streisand is set for two dates in May, featuring four female vocalists.

Get your tickets at www.sota.org.