By Tim Diovanni
08:58 on October 15, 2020 CDT
African-Americans remain particularly underrepresented in classical music, and driver Roderick Cox must replace that.
This month, he made his debut with the Fort Worth and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. This is just the latest step in a busy career abroad. Cox, 33, associate conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra from 2016 to 2018 and has been invited to conduct the best world-class orchestras by adding the BBC Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Paris Orchestra.
Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, Cox sang in his church gospel choir with his mother and brother. He began playing percussion in his school’s number one orchestra, before learning the French horn.
“It wasn’t too late, I could think about high school or college, that classical music started talking to me,” Cox says of Zoom.
Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Columbus State University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. He cites Mallory Thompson, Victor Yampolsky and FWSO principal guest director Robert Spano, with whom he studied at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado for two seasons. – as influential teachers.
Positions followed with the Alabama Symphony and The Minnesota Orchestra, and in 2018 Cox won the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Steering Award. This $30,000 award allowed him to move to Berlin. This decision, Cox says, “has helped advance my career by giving me many other workplaces in Europe. “
Directors Jukka-Pekka Saraste of Finland and David Briskin of Canada were originally scheduled to conduct long-term performances through FWSO and DSO, respectively, but after learning that the two musicians could not attend due to restrictions, each orchestra contacted Cox separately. .
Keith Cerny, president and ceo of the Fort Worth Symphony, said in a statement that he chose Cox for his Solti Award and his “rapidly progressive career in symphony and opera direction. “
Peter Czornyj, DSO’s vice president of artistic operations, wrote in an email that Cox “has been on our list of conductors to invite to conduct the orchestra for some time. “
With the FWSO this weekend, Cox will conduct Prokofiev’s classical symphony, Beethoven’s pastoral symphony and Rodrigo’s Aranjuez Concerto, with American guitarist Jason Vieaux as soloist. Since the orchestra is looking for its next music director, this is an opportunity for Cox to show out of his prowess.
Cox directed the DSO a week later in the performances of Symphony No. And Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov.
With the recent Black Lives Matter movement, classical music organizations have become more sensitive to racism. The groups have begun to program more works through other people of color and with more varied conductors and soloists.
Although Cox says race has not been a challenge for him in his education or career, he meets colleagues who have had negative experiences.
“I think the general message (black voices matter, black artists matter) can be helpful in drawing attention to underrepresented or overlooked teams or artists in the field,” he says.
“Everyone is fighting for a position in this global classical music . . . However, with the color of his skin, there are more dots and stereotypes. “
Cox’s purpose is to triumph over those obstacles.
“In fact, I hope to be able to succeed in as many other people as you can imagine through classical music,” he says. “And perhaps motivate some other generation of musicians and directors to follow this art form, perhaps by converting the composition of this art form. in terms of other people of color represented. And more color drivers. “
Each time he takes the podium, Cox takes a step towards achieving this goal.
7:30 pm. 16 October, 1:30 p. m. and 7:30 p. m. October 17 and 2:18 p. m. October at The Will Rogers Auditorium, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. , Fort Worth Limited price ticket availability, $25 to $75,817-665-6000, fwsymphony. org 19:30 October 22, October 23 and October 24 and 2:30 p. m. October 25 at Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. , Dallas. Tickets recently reserved for seasonal subscribers. 214-849-4376, mydso. com.
Non-profit
Tim Diovanni, editor-in-chief. Tim Diovanni reports on classical music on a scholarship funded by the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. The News makes all editorial decisions.
Catch up on North Texas’ vibrant arts and cultural community, delivered every Monday.
By registering, you comply with our privacy policy
Support us in our project and the history of North Texas