Johnson City Symphony Orchestra
The symphony orchestras in the Mountain South have undergone a sea change
of leadership in the past year, with new conductors taking over the Asheville Symphony, Johnson City Symphony, and Symphony of the Mountains.
Over the next three issues, we’ll introduce you to
The New Maestros
Tom Stites
Johnson City Symphony Orchestra
When organizations undergo changes in leadership, they often take the opportunity to assess their own identity and values. The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra (JCSO) availed itself of that opportunity over the past season as the organization searched for a new conductor.
The symphony concluded that it is first and foremost a community orchestra. The textbook definition of community orchestra is that the members are not professional musicians whose first and only job is music. They are members of the community who come together to practice and perform classical music.
But going beyond that definition, a community orchestra is involved in the community. Not only is the orchestra as a whole an integral part of the community’s culture, but also its members are active participants in the life of the community.
That’s why Tom Stites is the new conductor of the JCSO. “The difference between a professional orchestra and a community orchestra — I think that it’s purely words,” says Stites. “For me, a professional orchestra is where the players have that as their major job. That allows them to live without an additional job. A community orchestra is a group of people that are members of the community. Many are professionals in the community, who choose to work in music because it’s an important part of their lives. They’re professors, lawyers, doctors, students. I see it as being filled with people that live in our neighborhoods, shop at our grocery stores. Great advantage. They’re the people you go to church with. That’s what it should be.
“In terms of performance, I don’t think there is that significant a difference,” says Stites. “It’s a matter of picking the proper literature. Doing that will entertain the audience and give them a reason to attend and show off the players in their best possible light. If I do that, I’m doing what’s best for the community and the orchestra.”
Stites’ own community ties are unquestionable. He’s been a playing member of the JCSO for a decade (the baton he’ll be wielding now is infinitely lighter than the tuba he’s been playing), and he’s served as the JCSO’s assistant conductor for the past six years. He’s also directed the Science Hill High School Band for the better part of the past 20 years, building an elite program that has represented the city at the Rose Bowl and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades. He’s turned out many of the finest musicians ever to come out of Johnson City, some of whom will now follow his direction as members of the JCSO. “As a lifelong teacher I’ve always stressed to the thousands of kids I’ve taught the idea that music is not something that you leave when you walk out the door of high school. This is a chance to walk the walk and give the musicians in the community a chance to continue to play.”
The Symphony Board gave Stites a vote of confidence by offering him a two-year contract. Previous conductors have received running one-year contracts. But Stites is maintaining his characteristic humility. “I always remember what Gunther Schuller said in The Compleat Conductor. He quoted the concert master of the Vienna Philharmonic, who was asked what he thought of a famous guest conductor. The concert master said, ‘It doesn’t matter. We watch none of them.’ ”
That certainly won’t be the case for Stites. With the JCSO now under his leadership and the Symphony Board fully behind him, for the next two years all eyes will be on Tom Stites.
Rob Summers is a freelance writer based in Johnson City.
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