Maestras from Heaven: Gemma New

Gemma New Photo by Roy Cox

I had the pleasure of attending Maestra Gemma New’s fabulous “Greatest Classical Hits” concert on 27 October — and it was a great classical hit!

Conductor New lived up to her reviews and expectations. Graceful on the podium, she nonetheless maintained a wonderful pace and encouraged the musicians to play dynamically but with great precision. Her use of a small white baton (they sell on Amazon for about $4.50) belied her ability to draw forth a huge sound. Some of the musicians commented on her command and precision — her cues to the orchestra were extremely clear and delicate, which was apparent even to the audience.

In person, Maestra New is polite, modest, extremely clever and a delight. She charmed and impressed both the audience at the performance and the lucky few who shared a dinner with her afterwards. If this is an indication of the quality of our “Maestras from Heaven,” we are in for some fabulous music this season with the Brussa Brava! Legacy Program and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

See you at the next BB!LP Maestra, the widely respected Conductor JoAnn Falletta, coming 2 + 3 November with acclaimed guitarist Petrit Çeku for an evening of “Sizzling Spanish Guitar.”