At the Schermerhorn
Clarity, Contrast, and Conviction: A Conversation with Gemma New
When Gemma New steps onto the podium with the Nashville Symphony next weekend, she brings with her a reputation for clarity, curiosity, and an uncommonly human approach to orchestral music-making. Currently serving as Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, New has emerged as one of the most compelling conductors of her generation—equally at home in core repertoire and contemporary works. Ahead of her Nashville appearance, we spoke with New about her relationship to the music on this program, her evolving philosophy as a conductor, and what she hopes audiences will carry with them long after the final note fades.
For New, conducting begins not with authority but with shared energy. Her earliest inspiration came from the visceral thrill of youth orchestra—of sound created collectively, and of witnessing how different conductors could shape that sound through distinct approaches to communication. That fascination has since grown into an international career defined by intellectual rigor, emotional immediacy, and a deep advocacy for the music of our time.
In the interview below, New speaks with characteristic openness about the ways her background in physics and mathematics informs her musical thinking, how she builds trust with audiences through contemporary programming, and why contrast—between Beethoven, Adams, and Mozart—is essential to the concert experience. At the heart of her approach is a belief that orchestral music should leave audiences uplifted, energized, and curious, whether encountering a familiar masterpiece or something entirely new.
Music City Review [MCR]: What first inspired you to conduct?
Gemma New [GN]: Joining a youth orchestra was the best experience ever! The glorious sound we create when we combine our energies in an orchestra is an overwhelmingly beautiful experience. We had three conductors lead our youth orchestra at the time; they all had unique approaches to music and communication, and I thought this was really fascinating. Thus started the journey!
MCR: With your background in Physics/Mathematics and Violin Performance, how, if at all, do the two interact? Does your scientific background inform your approach to music and conducting?
GN: I love the statement that “algebra can be used to describe everything in the world” and certainly creating a short-code reasoning with numbers and letters is a very natural fit when analyzing music. There are so many number systems in the score, in the structure, instrumentation, function and harmony. I have made a little short-code language for describing the music, which helps for memorization and analysis.
MCR: As a champion of new music, how do you successfully program contemporary works alongside classical repertoire, and what is the key to building audience trust in new music?
GN: I am really excited and grateful for the music of today. It should relate to our time most closely, and push us most exhilaratingly. For any program, I want our audience to leave thinking “WOW! That was amazing!” So we need to advocate for every piece we play, and find the best in it. Sometimes it’s helpful to prepare our ears with a few words about the intent of the music; sometimes programming music with a similar inspiration, style or character helps our audiences find relatable emotions in a piece that is new to them. Over time we build relationships with our audiences; so that even when they’re not familiar with a program, they can trust they’re going to leave the concert hall with new ideas and uplifting energy.
MCR: The program you’ve created for Nashville spans Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, John Adams’ Century Rolls, and Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony—three works separated by centuries but linked by dramatic energy. What was your artistic vision in bringing these particular pieces together?
GN: This was a very easy conversation I enjoyed with the orchestra and artistic administrator at the time, Alison Bolton. Being new to the orchestra, I asked what would be a great fit for the orchestra, audience and for the season as a whole. Conrad [Tao] & Century Rolls was put forward, and that sounded great to me! I’ve worked with Conrad and John [Adams] before and I love their artistry. John’s music is so colorful and punchy, and also new for our audience, so I wanted to program some favorites alongside this. Mozart 41 is a phenomenal symphony, with its captivating majesty and elegance and the amazing way the voices weave together in conversation. Beethoven Egmont also builds to a thrilling conclusion, starting with such emotional turmoil. We have chosen some great music here!
MCR: Beethoven’s Egmont Overture is a work of political struggle and heroic resolve. How do you approach shaping its arc from darkness into triumph, and what emotions do you want the audience to feel in those final, blazing minutes?
GN: In 2013 I first met John Adams when he was mentoring three conductors (of which I was one) to rehearse and conduct his music at Carnegie Hall. In preparation for conducting his music, I had thought the focus would be on all the notes, rhythms, dynamics and articulations, but John went right past that; it was so natural to him. He was so passionate about getting the convincing emotion and color, really physically going for the accented hammer blows or hearing the perfect shimmering of the high voices. I see Beethoven Egmont as being quite similar. There is a very clear story here, and all the characters are wailing, fighting, whispering, and sweetly singing! We have to find the right colors and phrasing to bring this piece to life.
MCR: Adams’ Century Rolls is vibrant, rhythmically charged, almost mischievous in its relationship to classical piano traditions. What should Nashville audiences listen for in this piece?—especially in its interplay between soloist and orchestra?
GN: In Century Rolls, John was inspired by the direct, steely sound that the mechanical piano rolls typically add to music. He was also influenced by the jazz and classical music of the 1920s, when piano rolls reigned as the leading recording medium. In terms of how the piano and orchestra interplay, I would encourage the audience not to always force a beat where they don’t hear one, but rather to delight in the kicks and giggles that fly in all directions from both parties! In the first movement, we hear the cacophony and whirring of sparks and whistles; in the moody middle movement we can relax into serene French dreams, and our be-bop last movement is heart-pounding.
MCR: Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony can feel both monumental and incredibly transparent and it has a very long performance tradition (from Szell, to Sawallisch, from Bernstein to Gardiner, and so on). What aspects of clarity, color, or architecture do you bring forward when conducting this masterpiece? What characterizes your approach to the piece, especially the incredible stretto in the Finale’s coda?
GN: I want the energy in this symphony to feel contagious! The quick switches from blurting out dramatically, to gently hugging sweetly, the push and pull as different voices in the orchestra rise up and affect one another. Much of this music is about the lift-off or the pass-on; it needs oomph, not weight! And the drama is struck from creating the dynamic contrasts clearly; we have to switch so quickly from extroversion to the soft intimate graceful lines.
MCR: You’re moving between three very different sound worlds in this program. How do you guide an orchestra through the stylistic shifts from Beethoven’s drama to Adams’ propulsive minimalism to Mozart’s classical brilliance?
GN: Every program needs contrast, so we can best appreciate what makes each piece so special! However, I also think there are quite a lot of similarities that we can enjoy between these pieces; for example, the Beethoven/Mozart style should be quite similar. This is a late work by Mozart, and certainly has a ton of drama throughout. I think the lyrical brilliance of Mozart can also be appreciated in some of this Beethoven overture, so really we will be looking to create a sweet lyrical style with sensitive, lively contrasts. The Adams also has a real fiery pep in the outer movements with a soft, delicate center, and we need to make sure, just like with the Mozart and Beethoven, that we are balancing our voices so that the melodies or primary colors can shine through.
MCR: With Century Rolls, the soloist-orchestra relationship is especially intricate. How will you build the collaborative chemistry between pianist Conrad Tao and the Nashville Orchestra that a piece with such rhythmic precision and elasticity demands?
GN: We’re really fortunate to have such excellent players onstage who will triumph with this music! In rehearsals, we will be building this up slowly and calmly.
MCR: What would you say is the role of an orchestra and conductor in the 21st Century?
GN: I see the orchestra and conductor being a team, where we advocate for the incredible programs we perform onstage, and collaborate with others in the area to ensure the orchestra is at the heart of music in the city. Onstage, I see the conductor as providing an environment where the musicians can play their absolute best, and where the intent of the music can be explored with curiosity and openness. Offstage, we work together to ensure the health of the organization, through thoughtful planning.
MCR: Have you been to Nashville before? Do you have any sight-seeing plans for while you are here?
It’s my first time here and I can’t wait to get to know Nashville better! A friend of mine has recently got me listening to Johnny Cash, and I’d like to go see the Johnny Cash Museum.
MCR: What ultimately seems to connect the music on this program—and Gemma New’s approach to it—is a commitment to vitality, clarity, and shared discovery. Whether shaping the narrative arc of Beethoven’s Egmont, unleashing the kinetic playfulness of Adams’ Century Rolls, or igniting the buoyant energy of Mozart’s “Jupiter,” New treats each work as a living exchange among musicians and listeners alike. Her debut with the Nashville Symphony points not backward toward tradition, but forward—toward concerts that invite trust, curiosity, and exhilaration. For audiences next weekend, this program promises not just contrast across movements and centuries, but the unmistakable feeling of music made urgently, collectively, and very much in the present. Personally, I am quite excited to hear the Beethoven with its huge fortissimo F chord-it’s been too long since I visited the Schermerhorn!
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