CULVER CITY NEWS: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE SYMPHONY?
Matthew Hetz: I do not remember exactly when I joined the orchestra, but it was sometime in the mid-1980s. I played in the orchestra for a few years, and then I left for a couple of years. I missed playing with the orchestra and returned, and have been a regular ever since. I have been orchestra president since 2004, and executive director since 2007.
WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE?
There have been many changes within the orchestra and outside. When I started, the orchestra was a mix of professional freelance musicians and mostly non-professionals, and now it is professional except for a few non-professionals who are also board members. There is no sense in taking money away from orchestra finances to pay ourselves for playing in the orchestra. The level of playing has improved greatly, with large increases in the past five or so years. Outside the orchestra: The changes of American society and culture, and classical music. When I started, the audience was quite large, diverse, and versed in classical music. Indeed, classical music had a greater presence in overall and pop culture, film and television back then than today. The very popular, mainstream culture “The Ed Sullivan Show,” regularly showcased classical musicians, ballet and opera. Johnny Carson would have classical musicians on his show as guests — not as some strange person, but as regulars who played classical music. Pop music would use classical music references — think of the Beatles, Yes, and Emerson Lake and Palmer. Classical music was more mainstream in mid-century up to even the 1990s, but today it is very under the radar. I do not watch a lot of TV, but I never see shows devoted to the performing arts. It shows up mostly in TV news broadcasts, which involve kids playing instruments. This is needed — youngsters need to be exposed to classical music, and receive exposure from media, but there is no serious discussion of classical music on TV, and rarely in movies as just part of everyday life. There is no ready acceptance of it. It needs to again become part of everyday American culture.
HOW DO YOU THINK IT COMPARES TO OTHER ORCHESTRAS IN THE LOS ANGELES REGION?
As I wrote, the orchestra has improved greatly over the past five years, but it is not wise to start comparing. I am a huge fan of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and we are not on that level, but we do very well. We present well-played concerts of varied and interesting programs. We support young musicians through our concerto competitions with entrants from pre-teens to age twenty-five. The competition illustrates the depth of musical talent in Los Angeles of these young musicians. But there are also the many adults classical musicians who perform in orchestras, operas, ballets, chamber music, new music concerts, the shrinking movie and television orchestras, who also teach, and play at weddings and events.
Los Angeles has a very deep and rich classical music history. It was home to Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Rachmaninov-who died in his home in Beverly Hills, Heifetz, Piatagorsky, and on. Today Los Angeles in classical music circles is known as being in the forefront of innovation, and in presenting incredible concerts by many organizations. Unfortunately, this is overshadowed today by Celebrity Hollywood and Television, reality TV, the Kardashians and the ilk.
DAY-TO-DAY, WHAT ARE YOUR DUTIES?
My day-to-day duties are to run the orchestra: look after finances and fundraising — we always welcome donations which can be made 24/7 through our website or people can join the SoCal Symphony Society and receive membership benefits, culvercitysymphony.org. I am in contact with Conductor Frank Fetta on programming, and then Orchestra Manager Helene Mirich-Spear on getting the musicians for the orchestra. I oversee the concerto competition, which was just concluded yesterday. I do the P.R.: website, e-mail blasts, press releases, newspaper interviews. I write the program notes for the concerts. This year instead of writing them, I am overseeing a new board member to write the grants along with the treasurer. I contact venues for our rehearsals and performances. I answer e-mails from the audience, musicians, agents. This is done for the Winter Season in Culver City and the Summer Season when the orchestra heads west to Burton Chace Park and becomes the Marina del Rey Symphony. I do not do all of these in one day, but many days have multiples of these responsibilities. I used to say I run the orchestras, but these days they run me.
WHAT IS COMING UP FOR THE ORCHESTRA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS?
We just completed our annual concerto competition October 15. The contestants were outstanding. I am amazed by them. There were some sterling performances, and the judging was very difficult. The first concert of the 2017-18 Season is Sunday, November 5, 2017, 2:00PM at First Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd Street, Santa Monica. This will be our first time performing in that church, which is quite active in hosting Classical Music events. We are looking forward to it. We return to Veterans Memorial Audtorium, where we’ve performed since moving to Culver City from Westchester in 2000, for a concert on February 25, 2018. Then we greatly anticipate returning to Kirk Douglas Theatre, DTCC. These concerts at KDT are a treat to the orchestra and audience. We bring Clasical Music to Downtown Cojver City. These KDT concerts have been partially funded through a Culver City Performing Arts Grant. We submitted our grant for 2018, and am waiting for the process of grant approval or denial.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO SEE THE ORCHESTRA BECAUSE THEY THINK IT’S NOT FOR THEM?
I am an instructor at Santa Monica Emeritus College, which is for the “older student,” usually ages fifty-five and above. These are active people, many with degrees in various fields who are retired or still work, and they are engaged in continuing learning. This continuing learning, this curiosity, promotes brain health, and indeed, recent studies show that we are wired to listen to music, and that classical music promotes the greatest brain health due to its richness and complexities-which are nice complexities to have in one’s life. However, due to the disappearance of music education in schools, the lack of classical music in too many homes. And there are some social stigmas that classical music is the music of the establishment-not so- and only for the Wealthy-it is not. To me I see a reluctance in too many to explore classical music. Orchestras are an incredible invention of a group from around thirty to seventy-plus musicians who get together to perform music of incredible beauty, power and emotion. For those who only listen to music through electronic speakers or headsets/earbuds, it is welcome revelation to hear classical music instruments live. The sound is direct from the instrument to the listener’s ears, and when played by a large group, as in an orchestra, it is very thrilling and stimulating. There is nothing like a live performance of an orchestra. And, it this age of scattered attentions spans, just sitting and listening to music for a couple of hours creates a creative discipline which benefits the young, and the old. This discipline should be welcomed by employers whose employees may become more engaged and more focused.
Those new to classical music and orchestras should keep open minds and ears. A one-time concert will not do it. To begin to appreciate classical music and orchestras, it takes repeated attendance to concerts. It is such a deep and rich history, that as soon as one door opens to the listener, there are ten more to explore. The most experienced and seasons classical music musicians always say they are learning about music. It is the same with the listener.
There are comments that there are only old people at classical music concerts. It is not only, but there are many, and they are not being replaced by a younger audience, and I mean from first Baby Boomers on down. The other side to this is that the classical music audience is older, and active, because they listen to classical music, and orchestras.