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The Inspiring and Innovative Mark Russell Smith

Mark Russell Smith
Mark Russell Smith
Mark Russell Smith
Photo courtsey the SPCO

Mark Russell Smith is the artistic director of orchestral studies at the U — that means he conducts the ensembles, pulls together programs and mentors conducting students.

What makes him so special is that he makes great music happen, but also he brings a relevance to music and helps knock down that wall between audience and orchestra.

Mark and I got to talking recently when we realized his wife — Third Horn of the Minnesota Orchestra Ellen Smith — and I were pals way back in college days playing at a summer festival. After a few laughs and realizing we had all grown up considerably, he told me what the U students were doing for their final concert this school year and I immediately said come on the radio and talk about that, but for sure share a couple of desert island discs as well so we can get to know you.

Of course, a conductor likes long songs, so it was hard to cut things down into manageable bites, but we found a few of the great moments in orchestral literature that at first entices someone to become a professional musician and later to stay a professional musician.

You don't want to miss this dynamic personality present and conduct music this weekend. Repertoire features Mahler's Totenfeier, a performance of Glitter and Be Gay from Leonard Bernstein's Candide and Non, Monsieur, mon mari from Francis Poulenc's Les Mamelles De Tiresias by Laura Hynes, the U of M School of Music concerto competition winner, and one of the most sublime moments in all of music — Strauss's Suite and Final Scene from Der Rosenkavalier.

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