Maestro Temirkanov has been an inspiration to us for the past seven years. Much has transpired in the BSO and the world in those seven years. We have all seen the harsh realities of the world. Temirkanov has the ability to bring us to a place where the power of music overcomes the power of the world – if only briefly. That is a great gift and we have treasured it.

The following are some images and thoughts on his musical impact on the BSO as a whole, and on us as individual musicians.

As I have watched and studied conductors I've always wondered, "what makes a conductor great? What is the difference between someone who can stand on the podium and light up the orchestra and someone who is a fine technician?" I have always suspected it to be the level of imagination and vision they can create in their own mind. Maestro Temirkanov confirms this every time he stands in front of the orchestra. He dares to take every work he conducts farther than anyone else has and he has the ability to demand nothing less from himself and the orchestra. Making music with Yuri is a truly transcendent experience and although I wish him well as he moves on from Baltimore I sincerely hope he will return from time to time to remind us that we are only limited by our imaginations and we are only as great as we dare to be.

Chris Dudley, Principal Trombone

"If the saying "eyes are the windows to one's soul" were literaly true, Maestro Temirkanov's eyes would be the size of Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. That's why he is the only conductor I know that could lead an orchestra with hands tied behind his back. "

-Ivan Stefanovic, Violin

Ivan Stefanovic and Yuri Temirkanov

"One of the most memorable performances of Temirkanov's tenure was the program he led at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season, just after the September 11th attacks. It was difficult to concentrate on rehearsals in the days following this horrific event, and I found myself questioning the relevance of making beautiful sounds in the wake of such unspeakable tragedy. Somehow, at the concert, with the Meyerhoff filled with people seeking solace and healing, the music began to take on a heightened significance. Maestro Temirkanov led the orchestra with even more intensity and sense of purpose than usual. The frenzied final section of Ravel's 'La Valse' took on a demonic, almost frighteningly primal quality that I had never sensed before. It was as if the conductor with his gestures and the musicians with our instruments were shouting a defiant 'No!' to the forces of destruction and inhumanity that threatened to engulf the world. I will always remember these concerts, and 'La Valse' in particular, as a supremely cathartic moment. "

-Jonathan Jensen, Bass

Read Violist Peter Minkler's essay on Yuri Temirkanov here

"The first time I worked with Yuri Temirkanov was when I was a new member of the Israel Philharmonic. It was my first month with them and I was still getting used to a group that talked incessantly during rehearsals. YT, a man of almost no words, would repeatedly make a gesture with his hand like he was turning off a radio when he was trying to get the band to stop chattering. When it didn't work, he looked at his hand in astonishment that it hadn't turned off the blathering orchestra.The sly look in his eyes told us he expected us to play like angels in the concert after behaving like devils in rehearsal.When he hired me in Baltimore and I shook his hand, he looked at me with the smirk of having had many funny experiences together before back in Israel. Even though we had so many first class conductors at the IPO, Temirkanov always stood out as a unique musician who transcended the score and was all heart in the face of great music. How could I not want to work with a guy like that year round? "

-Andrew Balio, Principal Trumpet

"It is hard to imagine being a double bass player and not abolutely loving making music with Yuri. It is immensely satisfying. Principal players from other orchestras come to play as substitutes in our section so that they can experience concerts conducted by him!"

-David Sheets, Bass

photo by Christian Colberg	photo by Sasha Gusov

"Maestro Temirkanov found us, we didn’t find him.  He heard us play two concerts in Leningrad in the Spring of 1987.  He liked what he heard and in a couple of seasons he magically appeared for the first time on the podium of the Myerhoff.  I personally was really looking forward to playing with him (I first saw him when my friend played me a video of him conducting Brahms and Britten  with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Wolf Trap—I’d never seen anything quite like it). He managed to surpass even my highest expectations. He’s a great one, and from that first time up through the present I have enjoyed my work with him more so than with any other conductor. As he himself would say, “Why?” Greatness is hard to describe (though you know it when you see it) but I’ll give it a brief try. The Maestro doesn’t like to talk much.  In a field where you make your living letting others produce the sounds, this is a good quality.  He makes up for the lack of verbiage with a multilayered physical technique that leaves little doubt as to the intent.  Just today while rehearsing Shostakovich’s first symphony he conducted an eight bar phrase twice:  once while stooping over the podium, hands together at his eyes, with very little movement at all, and a second with his body as tall has he could make it with arms as fluid and sweeping as possible.  Both of these elements had a bearing on the phrase -- one was the big picture and one the little picture.  I don’t know how he’ll conduct it in the concerts but I know I’ll remember that phrasing lesson for a long time.  In perhaps the biggest blockbuster program he produced, one in which we played both Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, he conducted two back to back phrases in the Prokofiev as if he were miming a couple of Russians conversing over a chess game:  the first ended with the shoulders up and the head to one side with a question on the face, and the second was the answer, ending with the shoulders down and the head in the center with a satisfied look – Well Sascha, you asked the question and I gave you the answer, what do you want? Now make your next move already.  Most conductors will work a lifetime and never think of such an elemental way to link two phrases. I finally knew that the Maestro had left his permanent positive mark on us when the orchestra sat down with only two days notice to the first rehearsal of the same Prokofiev Fifth Symphony with Andrew Litton, who had been pressed into last minute service to fill in for the ailing maestro.  The orchestra dove into it like Cal Ripken at batting practice, well-hit balls flying everywhere.  He played the first movement through without stopping so he could gauge the situation, put his hands down, the color gone from his face, speechless for a few seconds as he caught his breath. The look on his face said Now where in the devil did that come from? It’s harder than I thought to describe this type of genius so I give up – there are too many stories where those came from.  All I can add is that when I remarked to a close colleague, more experienced than I, at how easy it was to work with him and the results were so superb, my colleague just said 'that’s the way it is with the best of them.'  And lastly, a bit of inside information:  the first thing Maestro does when he comes back after having been gone from Baltimore for a while is to face the bass section, turn his palm up towards the ceiling and wiggle his fingers.  This is Temirkanovese for 'as long as I’m here the basses will not be punished for playing louder.'  Then the game is afoot, all is musically possible; Tchaikovsky becomes Russian Brahms, Shostakovich becomes living history, and Prokofiev becomes the bridge to them all. 

The only thing to do is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy while you can."

-Randy Campora, Bass Trombone

His sense of humor, and one difference in Russian and American orchestra culture, is illustrated by this story:

We were rehearsaing a Russian (Prokofiev, I think) piece. Maestro Temirkanov stopped, and said to the strings, "yes, mezzo forte (medium loud), but RUSSIAN mezzo forte. In other words, fortissimo! (very loud)"

-Greg Mulligan, Violin

He wants an intensity and passion from the orchestra.  He's not after the perfect performance, but after a very involved, passionate performance.

-Katherine Needleman, Principal Oboe

The most noticeable thing about Yuri as a person is that he's more physical than verbal.  Most conductors have to talk to get their points across - what emotional things they want you to express - and that tends to diminish the impact.   Yuri's expressive body language, eye contact and beautiful hands are a language we can really understand.

-Jonathan Carney, BSO Concertmaster

Thoughts from our European Tour

"Primarily, our relationship with Maestro Temirkanov is oriented by our respective positions on stage.   Occasionally we have had the opportunity to spend time with him off the stage and these moments are memorable.  One such evening occurred in Murcia, Spain as we returned from a late dinner to our hotel.  As we settled into the nearly deserted bar for a beer, Maestro Temirkanov walked in with Concertmaster Jon Carney, and invited us over to his table. We all gathered around a big table. As more musicians showed up the group grew. Temirkanov announced that all drinks were on him, and urged us to order whatever we wanted. So, what started out as a small group gathering for a quiet drink, turned into a loud and raucous gathering of almost half the orchestra. It was really great to hang out with the Maestro. People often think he’s aloof and unapproachable, but when he wants to, the man knows how to have a good time. With the translation help of Igor Yuzefovich, our new assistant concertmaster who was born in Moscow, we told Temirkanov how much we loved playing for him, how much we appreciated how he had improved the BSO, and how sad we all are that this is his last season with us. Temirkanov let us know the feeling was mutual. Toasts were made all around, and the party went into the wee hours. At our next concert in Barcelona, there were knowing glances between him and us as he walked onstage, and we played our hearts out for him."

-Ellen Pendleton Troyer, violin

"On the final night of our European tour of 05 – the final tour with Maestro Temirkanov there was a reception for the orchestra hosted by generous hosts Rudy and Robin Breitnecker.  There were speeches and toasts but the most joyous response of the evening was saved for Yuri.  The tour has been nothing short of a love-filled celebration as it marks our last with him as music director.  The orchestra cheered and crescendoed into rhythmic clapping as a show of our appreciation to all that he has brought to Baltimore.  He gave a rousing speech in which he stated that he was proud that the BSO could give a tour like this with sold-out performances throughout Europe, and that we had truly attained the status of one of the great orchestras of the world.  He also proclaimed an old Russian phrase as he reminded us that he is "Still the Tsar"! He received laughter, cheers and applause.

 Yuri told us that he was very touched by the orchestra's gesture of flowers at the final performance.  The players passed a bouquet of flowers from the back of the stage all the way to the front, which were presented to him by Chang Woo, associate principal cello.  The Maestro also said that the other great achievement of his tenure here is that as he leaves, the orchestra is sad that he is going and that he is sad as well.

 We will miss touring with you Yuri, and so will audiences around the world."

- Brian Prechtl, percussion