Wes Kroninger
After 28 years, Peter Stafford Wilson is turning in his associate conductor’s baton at the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. But with retirement comes great memories.
Wilson, a Westerville resident, has taught, inspired and entertained many ages. One of his fondest recollections though, is helping young musicians blossom in the orchestra’s youth programs.
“Helping (the youth) bring certain warhorses like Tchaikovsky symphony to life for the first time is so rewarding,” Wilson says. “I’ve been working with kids for 40 years now, so it’s going to be kind of strange not working with them anymore.”
He’ll end his CSO career on a high note, though. Wilson and the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) will perform in Carnegie Hall this June for the third year with an evening of music by Leonard Bernstein and Paul Hindemith, accompanied by the Columbus Children’s Youth Choir.
“(I like) the concept of guiding a bunch of individuals into creating something incredibly unique on a grander scale by bringing those talents together.” - Wilson
Wilson says the New York City trip is a highlight for the young performers because of the prominence of the venue.
“Carnegie Hall is one of the most acoustically perfect halls in the world. … So the artistic reward of playing there is extraordinary,” he says. “And (the trip) goes to that goal of learning about excellence and what is achieving the ultimate goal.”
Apart from the CSYO, Wilson will also retire from conducting for the Columbus All-City Orchestra and the CSO senior orchestra. Wilson says many “incredible musical moments” have also occurred with the senior musicians.
He isn’t laying the baton down entirely, though. He’ll still serve as artistic director for the Westerville Symphony, where he’s now in his 25th season.
Having a strong interest in ballet scores, Wilson’s biggest goal after his CSO retirement is to collaborate with ballet studios across the country and focus more on his principal conductor position with Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma.
“One of the ways we stay young is to reinvent ourselves later in life,” Wilson says, laughing. “So I’m starting a whole new set of challenges … like learning how my craft fits in with another art form. It’s really stimulating intellectually.”
Because Wilson believes in the power of community orchestras, his passion for leading a group of musicians will probably never fade.
“I think orchestras are a microcosm of a community,” he says. “(I like) the concept of guiding a bunch of individuals into creating something incredibly unique on a grander scale by bringing those talents together.”
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Still on the Schedule
- Westerville Symphony presents Masterworks 2: March 4, Cowan Hall, Westerville
- Westerville Symphony presents Masterworks 3: April 22, Cowan Hall, Westerville
- Westerville Symphony presents Wine Pairings: Springtime in Paris: May 11, Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center, Lewis Center
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