Meet new LPO conductor and music director Matthew Kraemer: ‘We’re living in the moment’

Matthew Kraemer couldn’t let it pass.

Traditionally, classical audiences remain silent as an orchestra’s musicians reset between sections of a symphony.

But during the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s season-opening performance Sept. 14 at the Orpheum Theater, a single listener felt compelled to clap between movements of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor.

Kraemer, making his debut as the LPO’s new principal conductor and music director, paused, glanced over his shoulder and gave a quick, comic nod of approval. Laughter rippled across the sold-out theater.

Sitting in silence during a symphony “is a fascinating construct of the 19th century,” Kraemer explained during an interview days later. “High-society conductors like (Gustav) Mahler treated the concert hall like a temple or place of worship — you had to respect the composer’s intention in pure silence.”

He respects that tradition, but a live performance “is not a recording. This is happening in real-time. We’re living in the moment. The music is breathing. It’s actually alive at that moment. Otherwise, it’s black dots on a page.

“I want to go back to Beethoven’s time, when there were fire-eaters between movements. If the audience was clapping uncontrollably, they would encore movements on the spot. If the audience is telling us they appreciated what they heard, I love it.”

Conductor Matthew Kraemer makes his debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, September 14, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

Staff photo by Chris Granger NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Kraemer is leading the LPO into its 33rd season, following predecessor Carlos Miguel Prieto’s 17-year tenure. For the 46-year-old Kraemer, who trained as a violinist, this is his first appointment as principal conductor and music director for a full-time symphony orchestra with a 36-week season.

“Throughout the whole interview process I felt like everybody’s heart was in the right place,” he said. “They believed in this orchestra, the construct of it being musician-owned and collaboratively governed.

“Everything pointed me in the right direction with this. It really felt like it was the place for me. Right now in my career, at my age, I have the best years ahead of me to dedicate to an orchestra. I felt like I could give 100% here and really help move the needle for this marvelous orchestra.”

A violinist or conductor?

Growing up in Richmond, Indiana, Kraemer was set on his course by older brother Joe — now Father Joseph M. Kraemer, SJ — who signed him up for violin lessons.

“Coming from a nonmusical family, he thought it was about time somebody learn a musical instrument, but he didn’t want to do it. Here I am, the youngest Kraemer son, now it’s my obligation to forge this path into music.”

Conductor Matthew Kraemer, center, stands backstage watching musicians warm up as he makes his debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans on Thursday, September 14, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

Staff photo by Chris Granger NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

He didn’t love the violin at first. But a teacher, Caroline Klemperer — her great-uncle was renowned German conductor and composer Otto Klemperer — sparked his interest.

“After a while, I appreciated the challenge of it. Progress can be gauged very easily learning a musical instrument.”

By high school, he was fully committed. “I was known as ‘the music guy’ at my school. It was kind of a novelty: ‘Matt plays the fiddle.’ I had to learn ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ just to appease a lot of people.”

He earned a degree in violin performance from Butler University. He did graduate work at the University of Nevada-Reno under Phillip Ruder, who once served as concertmaster of the New Orleans Philharmonic, a precursor of the LPO. Ruder’s orchestral career studies program — its alumni include three current LPO members — is focused on preparing students for auditions.

“At that point in my early 20s, I decided I was either going to be a violinist or a conductor,” Kraemer said. “Whatever audition I won first, that’s what I would do. Turned out that my first audition was a conducting audition. Otherwise, I could be in the orchestra.”

He was a violinist in the Nightingale String Quartet, but conducting has been his primary pursuit. He studied conducting in Vienna and twice earned a fellowship to the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen.

Conductor Matthew Kraemer, right, acknowledges the musicians as he makes his debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre on Thursday, September 14, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

Staff photo by Chris Granger NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

He spent time with the Buffalo Philharmonic in New York, the Butler County Symphony in Pennsylvania and Orchestra Indiana. He was Broadway star Idina Menzel’s conductor for symphonic concerts.

Since 2015, he has been the music director and principal conductor of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Though he continues to work with the Indianapolis orchestra, he, his wife, Megan, and their sons, Gabriel and Nathaniel, have made New Orleans their home.

Classic and contemporary

Going forward, Kraemer wants to emphasize new compositions. That his LPO debut opened with Stacy Garrop’s newly commissioned “Song of Orpheus” — written with solos for the five remaining founding members of the LPO — and concluded with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of classical music’s greatest hits, is indicative of his perspective.

“I believe fervently in new music,” he said. “Beethoven was new at one time, too.”

When he connects with a particular composer or composition, “it imparts upon you some kind of vigor. When you don’t feel that, then there’s something to worry about.”

That vigor should translate to performances. 

“Especially in this day and age, we do listen with our eyes, too,” Kraemer said. “To see animated performers, violinists with their scroll up in the air, looking triumphantly to the heavens. … I believe in putting yourself into it. Your corporeal self, as well as your intellect and your heart. All of that is combined.”

He also likes stepping outside the classical genre for collaborations. Especially in New Orleans, “the LPO can be very supportive of young and established artists. We can bring them into our family, and reach out to their family, and do concerts in untraditional settings, which has been tremendously successful for us.”

Conductor Matthew Kraemer makes his debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans on Thursday, September 14, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

Staff photo by Chris Granger NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

The national CBS news covered the LPO’s collaboration with Big Freedia last season. An LPO album with experimental Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers is in the pipeline.

“For the audience members who say, ‘I like my Mozart and Beethoven,’ I can point to our season brochure and say, ‘Well, there it is. That’s not going anywhere.’ But we can do a lot more.”

As conductor, his role resembles that of a traffic cop. “It really is a very complex job. You have to create an atmosphere where the musicians feel they can give their very best performance.

“But the magic really happens during the rehearsal period. That’s when the decisions are made. You’re fixing articulation, intonation. Balances are always an issue: who’s too loud, who’s too soft.”

Conductor Matthew Kraemer makes his debut with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans on Thursday, September 14, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)

Staff photo by Chris Granger NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

He’s still refining the “black magic” psychology aspect of the job: “How to compel people without actually asking them to do things, or correcting them without actually correcting them.

“These kinds of things are very challenging for anybody in social scenarios. But in this case, I’m standing in front of 70 incredibly talented and well-qualified artists. So it’s a very delicate dance, to be a conductor.”

His toughest audience may be at home. His oldest son, Gabriel, is 11 and a big fan of trains. When a family friend asked Gabriel what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied, “A conductor.”

The family friend exclaimed, “Oh, wonderful, just like your father!”

To which Gabriel replied, “No. A real conductor.”

Kraemer laughed as he recounted the story. His sons play piano, “but I don’t know if they’re particularly impressed with seeing Daddy up there waving his arms around. They think I’m interpretive dancing, basically.

“Which is kind of true.”

This article is drawn from this week’s episode of “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera,” a partnership between WLAE-TV and The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com. It airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., with repeats on Sundays at 9:30 p.m., on WLAE in New Orleans (Channel 32, COX Ch. 14 and 1014, Spectrum Ch. 11 and 711 and AT&T and DISH Ch. 32). Episodes are also available on the WLAE YouTube channel.