CLEVELAND, Ohio – Conductor Daniel Meyer didn’t land just one prominent job in Northern Ohio this spring. He got two.
In a rare stroke of musical good luck, the Brunswick native this season was named director of two groups in succession: BlueWater Chamber Orchestra and the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra. Almost overnight, an artist known primarily here as a guest became a fixture on the scene.
“It takes an enormous amount of organization and energy management,” said Meyer of his newly packed calendar. “But I think it’s invigorating.”
It’s also nothing new. Not to Meyer, anyway. His schedule now may be tighter than ever, but Meyer already is used to holding down several jobs at once.
Before taking up with BlueWater and Lakeside, Meyer was head of orchestral activities at Duquesne University and director of the Erie Philharmonic and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. All three are jobs he plans to keep, even as he takes on these new positions.
“I like repeating repertoire,” said Meyer. “With each grappling, I have more to say and more to bring to it. Now, I’ll just get to see pieces with higher frequency.”
Meyer is no stranger to Northeast Ohio. He may live in Pittsburgh, on account of his wife, vice president of artistic planning at the Pittsburgh Symphony, but he’s well acquainted with this region and its many musical treasures.
A graduate of Padua High School in Parma, Meyer grew up in the shadow of the Cleveland Orchestra, studying violin and piano. One memorable summer, he sang in the Blossom Festival Chorus, performing major works under such luminaries as Gareth Morrell and Robert Shaw. To this day, he said, singing remains an effective means to an end for him in orchestra rehearsals.
Music was not Meyer’s original ambition. When he enrolled at Denison University, in Granville, the future maestro was intent on a legal career and studied government. Then, almost by chance, a music teacher dropped him onto the podium.
“That was my lightning-bolt moment,” Meyer recalled. “I knew then that I had to figure out what it would take to do this. I’m one of those liberal arts stories of people who find their true passion after trying a lot of different things.”
He never looked back. After graduating from Denison, Meyer studied conducting at the University of Cincinnati and did doctoral work in music at Boston University. That then led to conducting engagements, which paved to the way to appointments in Knoxville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; and Pittsburgh.
The secret to his success? Approachability. Ever since he saw a famous conductor scowl at an audience for applauding at the “wrong” time, Meyer has made it his mission to be as engaging on the podium as possible.
He doesn’t just consent to speak from the stage. He does so willingly, eager to share his knowledge in the hopes of enlightening listeners and enriching their experiences. He also programs with a creative flair, seeking to provide something unique.
“The more that I can learn and know about these pieces, the more I can bring them to life,” Meyer said. “I think people in general go for any experience that’s different from what they can get other places.”
That’s a view of particular appeal to BlueWater, where Meyer has been a regular guest, a chamber orchestra founded in part for the purpose of filling in Cleveland’s musical gaps.
In a written statement, concertmaster Ken Johnston called Meyer “the creative leader we’ve been looking for,” the “perfect maestro” to help BlueWater carry on the legacy of late founder Carlton Woods.
For his part, Meyer said it’s his goal with BlueWater to promote greater “ownership” of the group in Northeast Ohio. He wants to exploit the expertise of its musicians and present concerts in such a way that walls between performers and listeners crumble.
A few dozen miles to the west, at Lakeside Chautauqua, the story is similar, but with a twist. There, in a tight-knit summer resort community, Meyer said he also aims to break down barriers and “poke at pre-existing traditions,” but on a larger, more intense scale. The concert venue there seats some 3,000, and the orchestra plays only three weeks a year.
“We are confident [Meyer] will inspire and engage audiences with his artistic vision and creative approach making great music,” said Lakeside President Kevin Sibbring. “He is the right person at the right time to take the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra to the next level and beyond.”
About his future as the busy director of not one or two but four different orchestras, Meyer is resolutely upbeat, as he would have to be. Mostly, he said, he’s just glad to be a regular presence again in Northeast Ohio. Only here, he said, could he preside over two ensembles and still be just one piece of a vibrant musical puzzle.
“This part of the world,” he said, with a sigh. “Aren’t we lucky?”