Culture Vulture

Whether you loved his dynamic conducting style or disliked what was perceived as his lack of commitment to Utah, it cannot be argued that Keith Lockhart — the former music director and conductor of the Utah Symphony — was going to be a tough act to follow.

Just by saying yes to the job, Thierry Fischer has shown he's got guts.

Fischer's hiring was announced this morning at the Utah Symphony's home, Abravanel Hall, to the applause of symphony trustees, musicians and music lovers.

Fischer, on first impression, seems unflashy, a bit shy (though that may be because of the slight language barrier) and a tad on the short side — all opposite the oversized movie-star persona Lockhart brought to the podium.

Fischer said that when he was a guest conductor here (the symphony equivalent of being flown in for a job interview), "I felt very free to be myself. ... Here is an orchestra who's reacting to my wishes, who's motivated."

"His vision for the Utah Symphony is to continue to build something great, and share it with the world, said Melia Tourangeau, president/CEO of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera.

Fischer, who turns 52 next Monday, lives in Geneva with his wife and three sons. Before taking up the baton, he was principal flutist for the Hamburg and Zurich orchestras, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

He already has two conducting gigs. He is the principal conductor for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (a job he plans to continue) and is chief conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic in Japan (where his contract runs until February 2011).

But at today's press conference, Fischer said all the right things about his new home.

He plans to buy a house in Utah, and spend about 12 to 13 weeks here (splitting time with his duties in Wales and Japan, and his home in Switzerland). "I am going to be a normal Salt Lake City citizen," Fischer said, mentioning the arts groups and the Farmer's Market as attractions the city offers. "As a Swiss, of course, I love skiing."