Pictures Worth a Thousand Words: A visit with Maestro Kevin Class

The first thing that presents itself when interviewing Kevin Class is that you are engaged with a teacher, one who wants to tell you what he knows about music and what he thinks about the music he knows.

Class is one of four finalists, out of 53 applicants, for music director of the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. Each finalist will conduct a concert with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra & Chorus during the 2022-23 season.

Class will conduct the concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18 at the First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.

This love of musical understanding is particularly clear when he speaks of the music chosen for the concert. He speaks rapidly, enthusiastically, and with the love of educating always at the forefront.

The concert includes an eclectic combination of unconventional compositions and the brilliant Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Among the lesser-known music to be presented is a composition by Joseph Bologne, considered by many to be the one of the finest musicians of 18th century Paris.

The son of an enslaved Senegalese woman, Bologne was sometimes referred to as the “black Mozart” until a 21st century movement brought recognition under his own name.

Another interesting composer whose work will be performed is Ryan Cayabyab, a native of the Philippines. According to Class, “his compositions are contemporary, accessible and moving.”

“The choice of Cayabyab connects in a deeply personal way to my heart,” Class said. “I had been teaching and performing in Asia for many years, with a long history of activities in China, South Korea and Taiwan in particular.

“I arrived in Visayas, Philippines, in 2013, just after Typhoon Yolanda, to teach master classes. The land, the villages, and the campus were totally damaged. Official reports say at least 6,300 were killed. I was greatly moved by the devastation.

“We had rehearsals in the one campus building remaining (a new campus was going to be constructed on higher ground). We performed concerts at three orphanages. They don’t see a great number of foreigners coming into these places, so I probably got a lot of attention from the kids just because I looked very different! It still brings tears when I remember the sadness. Cayabyab’s compositions speak in the voice of the island.”

The concert will close with the beloved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor. It would not be impossible for many of us to “hum a few bars.” The familiarity of the music probably presents a real challenge to violin soloists.

In this concert, the challenge will be elegantly met by William Shaub – Concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra – whose performances have been described as “full of passion and energy.”

Conductor Class says of him, “Will is a fabulous violinist. I have worked with him as an accompanist. We are friends as well as collaborators. It is a perfect fit for this concert.”

Class is currently the music director and conductor of the Opera Theater at the University of Tennessee and professor of collaborative piano. An admirer once described him as “an important ambassador for today’s composers.”

Class began his life in Belgium, where his father held a NATO appointment. He spent some formative years in Japan, eventually returning to Brussels to study. He describes his home for much of his life as Michigan near the Canadian border.

His mother was a singer, and his sister an aspiring pianist. This musical atmosphere drew him to violin lessons when he was a precocious 3 years old. Kevin remained a violinist until he was 18.

His interest in vocal music, piano and conducting was inspired by becoming acquainted with Antonio Pappano, English-Italian conductor and pianist.

“I haunted the Brussels opera. I was drawn to the combination of theater and music, by the storytelling of music combined with words and imagery. Many conductors started their careers directing opera. I believe all composers think dramatically, and opera is a natural way to express this complexity.”

In conclusion, I asked Class if he had an unfulfilled ambition as a conductor. He told me “I have a passion for Korngold’s dream pieces, or perhaps French grand operas, like Carmen, or maybe Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth......or perhaps.....?”

Clearly, his musical pathway shines brightly in his heart as we welcome him to our stage on this Sunday.

Joan-Ellen Zucker is a lifetime member of ORCMA. 

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Pictures Worth a Thousand Words: A visit with Maestro Kevin Class