Maestro Salvador Brotons may still be stuck at home in Barcelona due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Clark County classical music fans cannot forget how he’s led the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for three decades: with uncompromising musical artistry and radiant good cheer that pours from the podium.
The Clark County Arts Commission has awarded Brotons the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2020. The announcement was made Sept. 20 at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Gala 2020, a virtual celebration of Brotons’ remarkable career with the orchestra.
Brotons has spent 30 years jet-setting between Spain and Vancouver, where he has led rehearsals and conducted multiple concert performances every year. He is also a prolific and internationally respected composer.
Five to seven years is a typical tenure for a conductor with an orchestra, Brotons once told The Columbian; 30 years is almost unheard of.
Be an arts advocate
Want to help grow and celebrate the local arts scene? The Clark County Arts Commission is looking for volunteer commissioners to represent the cities of Camas, La Center, Vancouver, Washougal and Woodland. If you’re interested, contact the mayor of your city, who forwards recommendations to Clark County Council. There is also a business-community representative vacancy; applicants should apply directly to the Clark County Council.
Learn more about the Clark County Arts Commission at www.clarkcountyartscommission.com.
“This is my orchestra,” Brotons said. “It is really dear to my heart. I conduct orchestras all over the world, but this one is definitely my orchestra — the orchestra I have built.”
Brotons was born in Barcelona, grew up in a musical family and studied the flute and piano. He earned a doctorate at Florida State University and went to work teaching and conducting at Portland State University, which is where he first heard about the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. It was barely more than a humble community band at the time, but Brotons said he sensed something special about it.
“The community was behind it. They wanted to build something bigger,” Brotons said. The town itself was unusual, he realized: smallish but spunky and full of fascinating history, with a major airport and bigger city right next door, offering both convenience and a wider pool of musical talent.
“Vancouver is a fantastic place,” he said. “It’s the community, the people. They are enthusiastic about our project. That’s the reason I come back here. I love America, and I love this place.”
In the award announcement, the Clark County Arts Commission states, “For 30 years Maestro Salvador Brotons has been a gift to our community, offering generously his knowledge, passion, leadership and consummate artistry as a musician, composer, and conductor of our Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. With his vibrant presence, he has enriched, energized, and inspired many with music that spans time and cultures.”
Want to get to know the maestro? Check out the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s website and its “Ask the Maestro” video series at vancouversymphony.org/our-conductor.
