Robert Trevino Named New Artist Of The Month By Musical America

Shortly after his announcement as incoming Music Director of the Malmo Symphony Orchestra, the fast-rising American conductor Robert Trevino has been named Musical America's new artist of the month.

Trevino, who is also Chief Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra, has enjoyed a string of dramatic successes deputising with major institutions, from a Don Carlo at the Bolshoi (that one reviewer called the most exciting American debut in Russia "since Van Cliburn") to, recently, Mahler's Fifth Symphony with the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra (standing in for an ailing Donald Runnicles) and Mahler's Third Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra (where he deputised at short notice for Daniel Harding).

It is the latter incident that Musical America's writer, Roy Westbrook, describes in detail in his article accompanying the honour. Westbrook remembers his disappointment upon first hearing that Harding would be replaced by a conductor he had not hitherto heard of, in this most difficult of symphonies, "He had never met the orchestra before, or heard the piece.," writes Westbrook, "His London audience had heard Mahler from Solti, Abbado, Tennstedt and Maazel, and now a run-through under a mere novice awaited us. Or so we thought. From the opening pantheistic fanfare on eight horns, it was clear that we were in the hands of someone who not only believed in this extraordinary piece, but had some personal insight into it. Trevino grabbed and held our attention throughout one of the largest works in the repertoire, so that its final D major apotheosis felt truly transcendent. It was a triumph lauded by audience, players and critics."

In the feature, Trevino and Westbrook discuss the conductor's forthcoming debut with Washington National Opera, where he will lead the new production of Tchaikovsky's Evgeny Onegin. The journalist finishes his feature by observing, "With orchestras queuing up...no musical heights would seem unattainable for Trevino."

Read the Musical America new artist of the month article here.