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You moved here from North Carolina. What attracted you to Des Moines?

What attracted me to the Des Moines Symphony was several things. Principally, the national reputation of Joseph Giunta, the music director, and I knew of Joe’s reputation although we had never met, because he has made a commitment to Des Moines that is very unique among American conductors, and that is very special. But I was also looking for a change after 12 years in Charlotte, and the position here was vacant and they were searching and that was a big factor. The other factor is I have a background in music education and the Des Moines Symphony is just one of a handful of American professional orchestras that has an integrated academy of music associated with it.

You started in September. Do you feel settled in?

Well, my wife continued to live and work in Charlotte, because we had to get the house sold. So she just arrived here in the beginning of March. She loves Des Moines, and she couldn’t wait for the Farmers Market to start because during the interview process last fall, she came for a visit and just fell in love with the Farmers Market. So yeah, it feels like home and we love the house that we found here.

What has been your first priority as executive director?

I am really interested in expanding our service to the community. There are many ways that we can grow and continue to develop. In the future, we want to expand and broaden our services to offer more family concerts, more educational programs at the academy, expand our youth orchestra program, and have outreach concerts, where the orchestra might play in outlying towns. There is a lot of potential and that excites me.

Have you always wanted to pursue a music career?

I started to learn to play the trombone in the fifth grade, which is typical in public schools. But I actually started playing professionally and joined the musicians union when I was 14 years old. I played in dance bands, rock bands, jazz groups and I loved it. Then I got to college and decided that what I really wanted to do was study forestry and be a forest ranger, because my passion outside of music is the outdoors. But music had become so important to me, and such a part of my life, that the school of music said you should be a music major. So within the first couple of quarters, I realized music is what I really wanted to study.

Where did your passion for music come from?

I was playing professionally and then I taught instrumental music in the public schools. I was the music director and conductor for the Central Ohio Symphony, where I was an adjunct professor at Ohio Wesleyan University. I also conducted the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra for eight years, and I’ve played in jazz groups, jazz rock bands, but symphonic music is something that is just truly special. I believe every city deserves and needs a great symphony orchestra because it’s the same as if you go to Paris and see the Mona Lisa, or you go to the Des Moines Art Center and see American Gothic, you’re seeing the original art, and every time a symphony plays, it’s recreating that original music of Beethoven or Mozart – our audience is experiencing the art just as those composers envisioned it. So I’m very passionate about it. I just believe in this art form.

Who’s your favorite composer?

My desert island composer has to be Mozart. But I have a wide eclectic taste in all music. I have most of Miles Davis’ albums, but it’s the classical composers that I’m passionate about. I could name you 50 composers that I listen to.

What is your one escape from work?

My wife and I love the outdoors and we have raised three sons who equally love the outdoors. So backpacking trips – really getting out in the back country and wilderness and backpacking – that is my biggest passion. I also play tennis. I was captain of my high school tennis team. And I love to play golf. If you saw me play, you would say ‘Well he’s not a golfer,’ but I love to play golf.