One of Richardson’s cultural crown jewels, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1961 by Maestro Chris Xeros and a group of dedicated volunteers. In 1990, Maestro Anshel Brusilow became the second conductor of the RSO. The orchestra continued to grow and is now recognized as one of the premiere orchestras in the region. It is the resident symphony of the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and offers six concerts (four classical and two pops) each season. The orchestra consists of 70 professional musicians led by Music Director and Conductor Clay Couturiaux, who just completed his eleventh year with the RSO. The Symphony is supported by a dedicated Board of Directors, the Richardson Symphony League and community volunteers. According to Executive Director Laurie Garvie, “We are a small but mighty nonprofit, with just two full-time and one part-time staff members.”
Throughout its history, the orchestra has been known for its innovative programming and as a showplace for brilliant up-and-coming talent. Many notable artists have made their DFW symphony debut with the RSO, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Nadia Solaerno-Sonnenberg and pianist Behzod Abduraimov.
In addition to its critically acclaimed concerts, the RSO is regarded as a leader in education and community outreach programs. The Ann & Charles
Eisemann International Young Artists Competition annually draws talented young performers from around the world who compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to perform with the orchestra at its March concert. The orchestra is also involved in enriching the Fine Arts education of Richardson Independent School District students through Symphony Days, a three-part program culminating in all third graders attending a concert at the Eisemann Center.
When asked what makes her glad to be associated with the RSO, Garvie states, “One of the things I’m most proud of is that we provide music beyond the walls of the concert hall to share the joy of live music with as many people as possible. Through the generous support of our donors, corporate sponsors, and the City of Richardson Cultural Arts Commission, we offer a wide variety of community outreach programs. Our newest platform is the RSO concert trailer, which enables us to transport a portable stage to casual settings – parks, neighborhood parties, Main Street celebrations, Light Up Lockwood, and several new locations in the months ahead.”
Winners of the 2023 Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artists Competition with the Eisemann family and Maestro Couturiaux
She continues, “I’m also proud of our podcast program, ‘Portraits in Music,’ which debuted in June 2020. Maestro Couturiaux shares his insight into the pieces to be performed at each concert. Most episodes include an interview with a principal musician or a guest artist. Several episodes feature conversations with RSO musicians and community supporters who have been instrumental in sustaining the RSO through their generous support. Our podcast has more than 3,000 downloads from 36 countries and 48 states in the USA and is produced by Ross Sivertsen.”
Richardson Symphony Orchestra concert trailer
The RSO just wrapped up an exciting sixty-first season. Joyce Yang returned to perform with the orchestra at their Season Finale Concert in April. An exceptional pianist who performed the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, Joyce is a powerhouse performer and such a joy to work with, which made for “an absolutely amazing weekend,” according to Garvie.
During the February pops concert, “Fascinating Rhythm,” the orchestra was joined by two Broadway veterans, Capathia Jenkins and Aisha de Haas. It included chart-topping songs popularized by Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, and many more iconic vocalists. One of the RSO’s goals has been to collaborate with the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts to co-present a pops concert. That dream will soon come true as the two entities co-present Judy Collins with full orchestral accompaniment on January 27, 2024.
For more information about the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, visit http://richardsonsymphony.org or follow the RSO on Instagram @Richardson_symphony.
MAESTRO CLAY COUTURIAUX
Music has been present throughout Clay Couturiaux’s life. He could sense the power of music when he started singing in the church choir at age 5. By age 8, young Clay was playing the piano, which soon fueled his interest in other instruments. By age 10, he had found his instrument: the violoncello. Because it was an orchestral instrument, the violoncello introduced Clay to the symphony orchestra and, through the orchestra, he gained an appreciation for all instruments. However, he admits to remaining biased toward the cello.
After attending his first orchestra rehearsal as a cellist at age 12, he knew he wanted to be a conductor. Couturiaux said, “Understanding what a conductor actually did opened up a new world to me.” Although he views great composers as the “true geniuses” and is content to leave the work of composing to them, he believes the role of the orchestra is to perform and to “recreate their music.” That process of re-creation is driven by the conductor.
Along his path to becoming a conductor, Couturiaux earned his Bachelor of Music in violoncello from the University of North Texas in Denton, graduating with honors in 1994. He then continued his studies at the University of North Texas, earning a Master’s and a Doctorate in orchestral conducting by 2000. In addition, he developed his conducting skills at the world-renowned Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians in Maine and at the National Arts Centre Conductors Programme in Ottawa, Canada. Maestro Couturiaux is now the Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of North Texas, where he teaches fundamentals of con- ducting technique, advanced orchestral conducting, administrates the orchestral studies area, and is conductor of the UNT Concert Orchestra.
Couturiaux describes the art of conducting as “one of the most complex and demanding activities in the realm of music” because three things must come together: the conductor’s personal study, the preparation of rehearsal, and the culmination of the performance itself.
Clay Couturiaux is the proud father of two teenage daughters. In his free time, he enjoys all sports (especially the Dallas Cowboys), scary movies, and traveling with his family. He also loves trying new beers, though his favorite beverage is always an Old Fashioned. He is a music connoisseur and, beyond classical music, the Oskar Peterson trio is one of his favorites.
A little-known fact about Maestro Couturiaux is that he was the first person to have an ice cream named after him at Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream. Maestro Couturiaux loves Butterfinger candy bars, so the local ice cream shop partnered with the RSO to create Conductor’s Crunch in his honor, a delicious and handcrafted combination of Sweet Firefly’s sweet cream ice cream, decadent Ghirardelli caramel sauce and Couturiaux’s beloved Butterfingers. A decade later, it’s still a fan favorite.
States Garvie, “Clay Couturiaux is a remarkable man and it’s a tremendous honor to work with him. He’s a genius when it comes to classical music and I marvel at how hard he works to prepare for each concert and how skillfully he works with our musicians throughout each rehearsal to create such moving and powerful performances.” Musician, father, sports fan and overall great guy, Clay Couturiaux is a Richardson gem.
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