> SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR A STORY OF ITS OWN

The National Arts Centre’s search for a successor to veteran maestro Pinchas Zukerman was an epic story of its own. It went on for 15 months, according to Peter Herrndorf, who is the CEO and known among arts leaders across the country as the godfather of Canadian culture. “We were looking for a young maestro, targeting prospects in their 30s or early 40s . . . We looked at 50 or 60 people.” The ideal candidate would have great chemistry with musicians, would be committed to working with Canadian composers and to continuing the strong education program for which Zukerman was renowned. Each candidate on a short list had to appear with the centre’s orchestra as guest conductor. Members of the orchestra would evaluate each candidate after working together. Shelley got rave evaluations from the musicians. “It’s a fascinating process but not easy to know where to begin,” Shelley told me. “I knew the job required someone who is not just a conductor but has ideas about offering a forum and home for Canadian creative artists.” It takes just minutes to realize that Alexander, at age 35, is the ideal choice for the orchestra, where he is under contract for four years, with an option for a fifth season. As I witnessed in May when I attended a rehearsal, a concert and a post-concert chat for patrons who opted to linger after the final bows, Shelley has an astonishing gift for engaging audiences as well as musicians. The best part of it was a quick guide to how classical music changed over the centuries. As soon as he sits down and starts talking, it’s clear this guy is about a lot more than waving a baton. He’s charismatic, young, handsome, stylish, curious, smart and intuitive. Most important, he has a gift for communicating, whether it’s with musicians, board members, audiences or the media. Impressive for any search committee was Shelley’s back story. The son of professional musicians, he was a cello player before becoming a conductor in Germany, first with a chamber orchestra in Dusseldorf — where he drew young audiences by using popular TV and stage figures as guest artists at concerts — and then in Nuremberg, where he remains under contract to the Nuremberg Symphony. Joining him in Ottawa will be his wife Zoe, who was also a cellist before becoming better known as a fashion model. “One of the wonderful things for me is that I can begin this job knowing the orchestra very well,” Shelley remarks. According to orchestra manager Nelson McDougall, Shelley has a knack for connecting with people who aren’t experts on classical music. “He finds a way of bringing them in.”