Festival Stories: David Berry

I still remember my first time at the symphony as a young child. As I stepped into the hall, little did I know that what I would hear would be a seminal milestone and lifelong inspiration in my own journey with music. That night, I heard for the first time Rachmaninoff’s great 3rd piano concerto. The virtuosity, the drama, the passion, the heart, the expression, was simply pure magic. It is something truly special the first time you hear a live performance that completely opens your mind to the possibilities of the power of music.

In my first year as artistic director of SVBF, I had the opportunity to invite a young 14-year-old student composer to attend the festival and hear her very first live performance of a Beethoven symphony. As I invited her and her mother to attend the concert, I thought back to my first time hearing that Rachmaninoff concerto and how formative what I heard that evening was to what I would do for the rest of my life. I could only hope that the music I programmed, and that the beautiful performance of our orchestra that evening might inspire that student, and perhaps others, in a similar way.

Music is a special gift to us all. As artistic director, the opportunity to curate not just concerts, but experiences, is what I love so much in my work. I truly believe there is nothing like the power of music, and I am thankful everyday for the role I get to play in allowing it to touch lives, as it has touched mine.

Dr. David Berry
SVBF Artistic Director