All Together Now: Conducting with Vance George

UPDATED: February 15, 2015, at 11:25 p.m.

Conductor Vance George visits Harvard to impart his experience on students. By Mac G Schumer

"I’ve memorized this all already," conductor Vance George says of the choral conducting book open in front of him in the Harvard Loeb Music Library.

The fact isn’t surprising, given that George led the San Francisco Symphony Chorus to four Grammy awards in the 23 years he served as their conductor. During his visit to Harvard for a residency from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, George lead the Holden Choruses in a rehearsal of three different works by Johannes Brahms. "It’s just great to work with wonderful, bright, interested, engaged students who are learning these wonderful pieces by Bach and Brahms," George says.

Conducting the Holden Choruses was no small feat, given that the students did not spend much time rehearsing the pieces before meeting George. But he welcomed any level of preparation. "It’s like working with something that’s alive, and you start where you find them and build on that. It’s not unlike cooking...you put [the ingredients] together and fashion them into something delicious," he says.

Yet he approached working with students much the same way that he would with seasoned professionals. "I was amazed at the alacrity and the handle they had on the music and also on the text," he says. "I’m basically bringing the music up off the page into their being, so that they can then impart that to the audience."

In order to foster this element of communication with the audience, George focused heavily on the emotional aspects of the performance during his rehearsal with the Holden Choruses—a pleasant surprise for the participants. Silvia Golumbeanu ’17, a member of Radcliffe Choral Society, describes a moment when George made a provocative comment that changed the mood in the room. "You could see everybody becoming really thoughtful [as he said], ‘I want everyone to think about this song...as if you’re dedicating it to someone else.’"

Fellow RCS member Nareen N. Manoukian, a first-year student at the Graduate School of Education, agrees that George’s focus on emotion and connection was unique. "Someone who is that accomplished...you’d think there’d be an emphasis on accuracy...but I was really surprised by his broad approach and his emphasis on connection to the music," she said.

George has been praised for his distinctive style of conducting and emotional manner of teaching. "They are redemptive," George says. "They have incredible texts and musical expression that reaches deep into the soul and is deeply moving to bring you to your best self. I think great art...lead[s] us to experience our best selves—our deepest self."

This philosophy translates to a technical appreciation of the pieces, too—one that emphasizes the most minute details. According to Harvard Glee Club Publicity Manager Connor A. Horton ’18, George worked on perfecting German pronunciation. "You think with singing you need to minimize the consonants to make it beautiful, but he made us really emphasize [them]," Horton says.

The students ultimately found George’s distinctive views fulfilling. "It was nice to get a fresh perspective in terms of interpretation...and to get a sense of what you sound [like] to a third party," says Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum Manager Lauren E. Goff ’16.

For George, it is reactions such as those from the Holden Choruses members that make teaching such a valued part of his discipline, as he views music not only as art but also as a crucial part of education and development. "I think when people leave a concert they are better human beings, and certainly the performers have gone inside that inner being and explored what the composer has put down on the page that was deeply moving to him or her," he says.

George believes that music can also serve as a powerful vehicle for social change. "It’s social change through music, social change through art," George says. "Going into an area where there are underprivileged children and having them experience music and art and dance and orchestra and band and so forth."

The mission is one he intends to advance himself. Asked what he plans to do after his Harvard residency, he answers without hesitation: "Running around various parts of the country and the world and working with choirs...continuing to make a difference in the world through art."

This article has been revised to reflect the following corrections:

CORRECTION: February 4, 2015

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Lauren E. Goff ’16 is special projects manager of the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum. In fact, she is the group's manager.

CORRECTIONS: February 15, 2015

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Holden Choruses had rehearsed three different works by Johannes Brahms only once before meeting Vance George. In fact, the group rehearsed the pieces multiple times. An earlier version of this article also incorrectly stated that Vance chose the pieces. In fact, the Holden Choruses chose what pieces to rehearse.