By snoadmin
With an array of experience with international music groups, Cal State Long Beach’s new orchestral studies director, Johannes Müller-Stosch, has already made a noteworthy impact on the University Symphony Orchestra since beginning in August.
International experience has allowed Müller-Stosch to set ambitious but what he said are achievable goals for the student orchestra.
“I want to make them the best orchestra in Southern California,” Müller-Stosch said. “I want to get their name out.”
According to the music department website, he was chosen among 130 candidates.
Müller-Stosch also acknowledged the caliber of CSULB’s Department of Music.
“When people think of a great music school, they think of USC,” he said. “I want to show people that this is a great school as well. And it’s cheap, too.”
Müller-Stosch hopes to one day take the orchestra overseas to perform in Germany. Besides the hard work and dedication, touring overseas requires a lot of money, he said. But for now, he’s working on raising the skill and performance level of the orchestra.
With such high goals, Müller-Stosch said he expects only the best from his musicians.
“I expect discipline and preparation from my students,” he said.
Müller-Stosch also stressed the importance of being on time, stating that a student will never get hired if he or she is continuously late to rehearsals.
On top of the hour-and-a-half-long rehearsals three times a week, he expects his students to know the assigned music before attending rehearsal.
“I’m not giving them baby stuff,” Müller-Stosch said of the music he assigns. “I want them to know what it feels like to be in a [professional] orchestra and this, in a sense, is a reality check for them.”
Despite Müller-Stosch’s seemingly demanding expectations, his students aren’t fazed. In fact, many of his students said they appreciate what he is doing.
“He’s a great conductor and he’s really trying to push the orchestra into becoming a top-tier ensemble,” said percussionist Shota Hanai.
Cellist Sean Fischer said she likes Müller-Stosch’s energy when he conducts.
“He’s tough, but he’s good,” Fischer said.
Second principal violinist Solomon Liang said Müller-Stosch can be demanding with his standards.
“[He’s] very picky with the music,” Liang said. “The music was more advanced than I thought, but as the semester wore on, we got used to it.”
Besides his conducting duties at CSULB, he is also the orchestral director for the Holland Symphony Orchestra in Holland, Mich. Although it is a part-time orchestra, Müller-Stosch flies back and forth from Long Beach to Michigan to work with his groups.
The German-born Müller-Stosch is currently finishing his doctoral work at the famed Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He has served as the assistant conductor of the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra at the music school and has traveled with the group to Japan, where he conducted concerts as part of Hiroshima’s 2006 Peace Festival. He has also been a part of the conducting and coaching staff at the Opera Theatre Festival in Lucca, Italy.
But even with his extensive musical background, he said he doesn’t have a favorite piece.
“So many people have asked me that, but I can’t pick one,” Müller-Stosch said. “That’s the best part about being a conductor – there is such a wide breadth of music.”
