This April, Alexander Platt, the conductor of the Wisconsin Philharmonic Orchestra, workshopped with the Brookfield Central Chamber Orchestra. Starting as a violist and moving up the ladder to become a renowned conductor, Mr. Platt has had a very long musical journey. One interesting perspective that he shared on being an orchestra conductor and director is how he is able to make unique programs, which he claims is part of the reason for his success. Although he does not recommend this profession for the faint-hearted, he did share one piece of music that he claims to have changed his life: The 2nd Movement of the Sibelius Concerto. 

Although Mr. Platt has workshopped with them in the past, due to Covid-19, he claims that he is sad that he missed an entire orchestra generation at BC. Nevertheless, the workshop seems to have been a success. The Orchestra is currently working on the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock, which was composed in the early  20th century. Each of the 6 movements has its own character, and Mr. Platt was able to help the orchestra bring out those characters after only an hour of workshop. Principle Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra Arisha Sobani (23’) even says, “ The Maestro’s unique conducting helped [her] gain a unique perspective of the piece and perform much better than before.” Besides the improvement in musical articulation, the orchestra seems to have become much more professional after this workshop. BC Orchestra Director Mr. Fitzpatrick reflects on this workshop as the most professionalism and responsiveness that they have ever shown. 

Mr. Platt was a great help to everyone in the BC Chamber Orchestra, and they all seem to be thankful. Be sure to the Wisconsin Philharmonic website for dates and times for their future performances.