Q&A: New CSO Chorus leader Stephen Caracciolo talks joy of conducting ahead of new season
On a Tuesday night in August, Stephen Caracciolo stepped into a setting that was at once very new and completely familiar.
That evening in the Ohio Theatre, Caracciolo took command of his first official rehearsal as the newly appointed conductor of the Columbus Symphony Chorus, the acclaimed all-volunteer ensemble that had long been led by recently retired conductor Ronald J. Jenkins.
The rehearsal went well.
“It was exciting but also just casual and easy,” Caracciolo said. “I just tend to jump in and do the work that needs to be done, and that keeps everybody focused. ... We just made music together.”
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Perhaps one reason why the job came so easily to Caracciolo is because he has spent most of his life doing versions of that job: The 61-year-old native of Steubenville has served as the leader of choral ensembles at numerous institutions, including Denison University and the Ohio University School of Music. Most recently, he taught at the University of Maryland-Baltimore before returning to central Ohio last year.
Caracciolo is also the longtime artistic director of the much-admired professional ensemble LancasterChorale, a post in which he remains. He now resides in Worthington with his wife, Sandra, with whom he has two grown children.
“I am very impressed with Stephen’s artistic accomplishments as a first-rate choir conductor, (and) his experience and understanding of (the) trajectory in developing and maintaining a first-rate chorus,” Columbus Symphony Music Director Rossen Milanov said by email.
Ahead of the Columbus Symphony Chorus’ first appearance of the season as part of the CSO’s season-opening performance of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” on Sept. 22 and 24 — as well as LancasterChorale’s own season-launching concerts in October — The Dispatch spoke with the man who makes so many voices in central Ohio sing.
Question: Is the Columbus Symphony Chorus focused on preparing for Holst's 'The Planets' right now?
Stephen Caracciolo: We’ve got three pieces we’re working on simultaneously. Of course, we need to get the Holst up and running, but it’s only four minutes’ worth of (choral) music. It’s vocalese, and it’s only the women (of the chorus). We started in on “The Conquest Requiem” (to be performed Nov. 17-18) ... and right after “The Conquest Requiem,” we have to turn around in two weeks and do “Holiday Pops” (Dec. 1-3), which means that during this whole time, I’m going to be inserting things for that.
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Q. Even someone who's not a singer can understand the joy of using your voice to make music. What joy do you find in conducting singers?
Caracciolo: I’m working ahead of everybody else, so I’m finding the places to unlock the meaning and unlock how the music ticks, and then when that can be revealed and unpacked in rehearsal, that’s a great joy. ... One of the things that a conductor must do is sell a vision for the piece. Forgive me, I worked in retail for a number of years, so sometimes I use that language. But that is a very important part of what the conductor does, either in a rehearsal or in the performance.
Q. Growing up in Steubenville, how did you first come to choral music?
Caracciolo: I sang in a children’s choir that my mom conducted at the Lutheran church, but we would just sing old-fashioned hymns. I don’t know that I really liked it all that much! Mom sang in the Steubenville Civic Choral Society, and she used to literally drag us to concerts, and I hated every minute of it. But then I got invited to be a treble singer at the Episcopal church (in Steubenville). I know it sounds trite or simple, but it just happens to be the truth: In 10 minutes, my whole life changed.
Q. What did studying at the Capital University Conservatory of Music mean to you?
Caracciolo: I went to Capital because of the choir. I got a recording — in those days, of course, it was vinyl — of a tour (performance), and I said, “I want to go there.” The choir has a marvelous reputation. I got incredible education there. In fact, when I went to Westminster Choir College to do my master’s degree, when you start a music degree — whether it’s a doctorate or a master’s — they give you entrance tests to see whether you need to take any remedial work, I tested out of an entire semester of remedial work. ... It’s because I had a great education.
Q. You've taught at schools including South-Western City Schools and Columbus Academy, as well as at the collegiate level. At the end of the day, are the jobs all that different?
Caracciolo: I was reflecting on this on Tuesday (during the Columbus Symphony Chorus rehearsal). As it happens, one of the mothers of a student that I had at Columbus Academy sings in the CSO Chorus. In the back of my mind, there’s a little track going: “Oh yeah, I remember when I used to teach Liz. ... Am I really doing (anything) different?” When I was teaching high school, I still taught at a very high level. You accept what is coming at you, how people respond to you, and then you create a feedback loop. But when I was teaching at Columbus Academy and other high schools, I was (teaching) the good stuff!
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Q. What are the acoustics of the Ohio Theatre like?
Caracciolo: It is a lovely place, and when you’re sitting in the loge especially, it’s really a compelling and very warm space to listen to music. A challenge that we need to face is the balance between the orchestra and the chorus. The chorus is pretty far back (onstage). The symphony did not ask this of me, but I’m kind of putting it on myself because I think it needs to get done: I think the chorus needs to grow. ... My task, if we’re going to grow it, is to continue to bring on really skilled folks, which is what we did this year.
Q. LancasterChorale's October performances are the first-ever of their own concerts to feature an orchestra. How did that come about?
Caracciolo: It started with a very generous donation. Somebody heard us sing at St. Mary in German Village and said, “I want to give you guys enough money to hire a chamber orchestra because I want to hear the Bach ‘Magnificat.’”
Q. Is there an upcoming CSO Chorus performance that you're most looking forward to?
Caracciolo: Well, certainly, “Holiday Pops” will be a lot of fun. There’s going to be some entertainment music, which is what is needed for a program like that, but then also some very tender and lovely things, too. The Mozart ("Mass in C minor," on May 24-25) is probably mostly in my wheelhouse. I’ve sung the work two or three times. I’ve never conducted it.
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At a glance
The Columbus Symphony Chorus will be featured in a performance of “The Planets” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 and 2 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St. LancasterChorale will perform “Magnificat” at 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption, 132 S. High St., Lancaster, and 4 p.m. Oct. 29 at St. Mary Catholic Church, 684 S. 3rd St. For more information, visit columbussymphony.com and lancasterchorale.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Conductor Stephen Carracciolo talks about CSO Chorus ahead of concerts
