As Cape Symphony gears up for our “Passport to Hungary” concert on January 27 and 28, 2024, we are delighted to introduce guest conductor Kevin Fitzgerald, who will lead your Cape Symphony Orchestra in this magnificent program.
Mr. Fitzgerald is Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony, a 2023 Special Prize winner in the prestigious Mahler Competition, and a 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow. He’s well-known for his open-hearted presence, excellent technique, and commitment to a diverse and modernized musical world.
Kevin is thrilled to bring the greatness of Hungarian music to Cape Cod, and structured the “Passport to Hungary” program to make the most of that opportunity. “The first half of the program (Kodály, Liszt, Bartók) represents late 19th and early 20th century classical Hungarian repertoire,” he explains. “Kodály and Bartók are the Mozart and Beethoven of Hungarian classical music. Much of their work is inspired by Hungarian folk music, so in that way, the big classical pieces of the first part of the program are closely tied to what violinist Roby Lakatos will play in the second,” which will be “pure virtuoso fireworks!”
Kevin will arrive on Cape for “Passport to Hungary” days after having conducted a “Bach to Beethoven” concert in Jacksonville, held soon after he led a recording of contemporary work in Chicago. A conducting career means lots of change in short timeframes, but Kevin takes it all in stride. “Like actors, I think, conductors learn to compartmentalize to deal with the sheer volume of work. Ideally, new repertoire would be spaced out between programs of more familiar music, but that’s not always how it works out.”
It helps to love a challenge. “I believe in taking every chance you can to do new things!” he says. “I’m kind of a fearless conductor in that way. I don’t like playing it safe; I don’t like not taking risks.”
Nor does he shy away from emotionally difficult work. In 2016, for example, Kevin led a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” at the University of Michigan, dedicated to victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. The incredibly moving event was organized in just 48 hours and involved over 400 volunteer musicians.
Asked what he does to relax, Kevin talks happily about life in Raleigh, North Carolina with his husband, violist Kurt Tseng, and their dogs Bennie and Chipper (who each have their own theme songs!). Kevin and Kurt enjoy watching movies and are big fans of The Great British Bake Off. Exercising is also important to him. “Even when I’m exhausted, I love being in the gym… it helps so much with energy, sleep, everything.”
Kevin Fitzgerald’s energy, pioneering spirit, and fearless approach to his work make him the perfect choice to conduct the magnificent repertoire in Cape Symphony’s “Passport to Hungary.” “It’s our job as conductors to keep musicians engaged with the fire that initially got them into this life,” he reflects, “and to light that fire for the audience as well… to give them something they’ve never heard before.”
Come see Kevin Fitzgerald in action with your Cape Symphony Orchestra at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center! Purchase “Passport to Hungary” tickets here.
