When John Larry Granger stepped to the podium on a rainy Saturday evening on January 10th to lead the Santa Cruz Symphony in its third program of the 1997-98 Season, there was a special feeling in the air. This concert's special feature was a triumphant performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto by 17-year old Aptos pianist, Aaron Miller, who is graduating from Aptos High School this June and departing the area to seek fame and fortune.
Right from the entering solo flourish, Aaron revealed a no nonsense approach to this concerto. He is a sensitive, sincere musician, utterly without affectation, who shows a rare maturity for his young years. Never was there a moment where musical values were sacrificed for pianistic effects. Not to say that he doesn't have a virtuoso's equipment, for he does, but he never lets it get in the way of the music. One of the problems with the first movement of the Schumann Concerto is the length of the recapitulation. However, Aaron's choice of tempi kept the movement tightly organized and the recapitulation flew by like magic. His cadenza to the first movement was strong and fleet and made a powerful effect. In the lovely slow movement, Aaron shaped the lyrical phrases of the middle section with tender care and subtle refinement. The final movement was a delight from beginning to end. This performance earned Aaron a prolonged, spontaneous standing ovation, and he responded with a sparkling performance of Gershwin's Third Prelude for Piano.
In the eleven years that Aaron has been playing the piano he has accumulated a formidable track record of victories in competitions and competitive auditions. He has also been appearing in public recital and concerto performances during the past few years. Thus, we have an instance of someone who is not only gifted, but also someone who has developed and fine-tuned these gifts in a disciplined manner under the tutelage of his teacher, Hans Boepple. Aaron is already a solid seasoned performer.
Aaron will be going to college in the fall, but where will he go? He has already won early acceptance at Harvard University where he may major in mathematics and minor in music (with piano study at the nearby New England Conservatory). On the other hand, he will also be auditioning for Juilliard in March. Since he has been studying with a Juilliard faculty member at the Aspen Festival during the past few summers (plus winning a concerto competition at Aspen and playing a Mozart Concerto with the orchestra there), his chances of being accepted at Juilliard are very strong indeed.
Judith Kogan, who wrote a stunning exposé of life at Juilliard called Nothing But the Best, pointed out that academically Juilliard leaves a lot to be desired. Its general education courses are substandard, and even its offerings in music history and theory are rudimentary compared to other institutions. Kogan ventured the opinion that Juilliard doesn't care whether you can feed a cat, boil an egg, change a lightbulb, conjugate a Latin verb or play a good game of tennis. There is only one thing that institution cares about. Can you play your instrument? Or, rather, in the Juilliard vernacular, do you have "chops?" Juilliard provides many opportunities to play solo and ensemble recitals, as well as the professional training to help students prepare for entering competitions.
But, other important advantages accrue to Juilliard. It is a hothouse of talented people, and through its doors pass some of the most talented musicians, actors and dancers from every corner of the globe. You are not likely to have roommate who will be a future President of the United States or a Supreme Court Justice, but you may be rubbing elbows with future symphony conductors, artistic directors, concert artists and heads of music departments all over the country. And if there are three hundred applications for one full-time post as a professor of piano or artist in residence at a University, the magical name of Juilliard might well cause the applicant's name to go to the top of the short list of candidates.
Of course the safe decision is to go to Harvard since a Harvard Degree with subsequent graduate study will undoubtedly lead to a career that will put bread on the table. Attendance at Juilliard will guarantee no such thing, and very few pianists who have graduated from Juilliard recently have stable careers.
We are now coming to the crux of the matter. Gifted young artists like Aaron Miller are gifted in many other areas that sometimes offer more attractive career opportunities. Without doubt, Aaron Miller could win acceptance to prestigious medical, law or engineering schools, if he were so inclined, and be assured of a life without material want. On the other hand, people pursuing a musical career can count on years of struggle with an uncertain future staring them in the face. Of course Aaron's family is wonderfully supportive and isn't going to let him end up in a flophouse bagging groceries at the local Safeway, but still the point is that our society today has far too few opportunities for such splendid young artists as Aaron Miller.
The concert began with a performance of Carl Maria von Weber's Overture to
Peter Schmoll und seine Nachbarn, a minor work from the Weber's pen that received a charming reading. The Aaron Copland
Billy the Kid Suite which followed is no stranger to concert programs, but under John Larry Granger's direction it sounded fresh once more. The ending selection on the program was four dances from Ginastera's
Estancia. This was a tour de force for the orchestra, especially the percussion section, and it provided an exciting windup to the evening.
The Santa Cruz Symphony's next performance at the Civic Auditorium will be on February 28 and feature clarinetist David Shifrin.
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