Kent Nagano: “The condescension towards young people is extremely offensive”

At the same time when, in the Senate, the clarines of the new National Tauromaquia Award sounded, Ernest Urtasun He did the walk in the National Music Auditorium – the Los Las Lasidos – where, with the journalistic light suit, he was about to deal with the next artistic and musical director of the National Orchestra and Choir (OCNE)the prestigious American musician Kent Nagano.

The minister did not receive it Portagayolabut put the director a red carpet (more appropriate to his tastes): «It is a pride for Spain that has agreed to direct the OCNE; We are excited grateful and we feel privileged. It will be the opportunity for the orchestra to make the great international leap ».

During the talk -in which the ‘Subaltern’ Ernest Urtasun put the questions to the orchestra director -Kent Nagano (Berkeley, California, 1951) in luck several occasions the international weight of the Spanish cultural tradition, which he described as one of the most important: “It is known, celebrated and admired,” he said, and added that “this tradition must be shared in the international community; In this 21st century it is more important than ever Keep cultural identities alive and share it ».

“I had no choice”

The American director told how he had no choice but to be a musician. «I could not choose. My mother was a pianist; We also lived in a small isolated town, three hours from Los Angeles and five from San Francisco, and that was known for having more cows than people. At four years my mother began to teach me piano; He told me that it was essential to have a cultural background and that he would teach me to have discipline and concentration ».

This musical education allowed him, when he was only seven years old, replace the director of the church choir to which he went. «He got sick and asked me to take care of the essay. It wasn’t bad and I haven’t stopped directing since then.

The Minister of Culture led the conversation to the thirds of Musical Education, the Orchestra Directorate, the international perception of Spanish music, innovation in classical music or its democratization.

“Studying music does not mean becoming a professional,” said Nagano. Only 2 percent do. But it has many benefits: they get great discipline and great concentrationabstract problems are learned; You learn existential thinking: to understand the past to, from there, think about the present and address the future; You learn that the interesting thing is not the problems, but to find the answer ». Studying music, he added, «You learn social dynamics: respect, structure, diplomacy …; and also social awareness ». “This helps in any aspect of life,” he concluded. Musicians grow much faster than children who do not study music. And I don’t say it, there are many studies that show it ».

Orchestra Director and Musical Director

Kent Nagano spoke of his double condition as an orchestra director and artistic director. «The orchestra director is a musician who makes music with his colleagues; He must have leadership, of course, but all he has to do is his colleagues touch. The musical direction is a different job, a different responsibility. It’s like a GPS That the past must understand, draw the coordinates of the present to take the vehicle to a point in the future. A musical director must appreciate the past, to know the tradition as a reflection of culture; Only if we understand the past we can face the present ».

The director of a place proceeds, California, where the footprint of the Hispanic is very deep, and from a country where every time but confessed that since he was appointed responsible for the OCNE he has been studying what he described as «this incredibly rich story of how Spanish culture was formed. I do not know anyone who does not recognize her as basic for civilization and does not recognize the importance of her literature, her poetry, her theater and her painting. ” Nagano’s intention is, as he confessed, “that the OCNE is a Great Ambassador of Spanish Culture». To do this we must influence identity and get the public to say the best compliment that a training can listen to the spectators: “This is my orchestra!”

Condescension

The Californian director believes that the future of classical music goes through not having a feeling of superiority and condescension towards young people. “It’s something extremely offensive.” «It is not a mystery how to treat them; You have to avoid the ‘status quo’, we must give them quality and offer the greatest possible challenges in the programs ».

Nagano also spoke of the validity of classical music. «It is only dead if it is put in a museum. Music is ephemeral. There is only a moment and, when we listen to her, it is already past, ”he philosophized. «Classical music represents humanity and does not depend on fashions, such as entertainment. Classical music goes further and is always new: it happens and dies ».

She is a supporter of the ‘democratization’ of classical music and worries that someone will continue to consider her elitist. He cited the maximum of the Enlightenment: “Beauty belongs to all humanity,” and said that an orchestra is the metaphor of society. “People who bind to get something that a single individual cannot get.”