Music

Frankly in Love with Music

conductor brings passion to new chamber orchestra gig

Barbara Arnold |

“BEING FRANK” AND “BEING DIRECT” ARE SYNONYMS. COINCIDENCE? Frank A. Watkins will officially take up the baton as Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra conductor this fall.
“BEING FRANK” AND “BEING DIRECT” ARE SYNONYMS. COINCIDENCE? Frank A. Watkins will officially take up the baton as Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra conductor this fall.

Frank A. Watkins, the new music director and conductor of the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, is a man who lives music 24/7, whether raising his baton with a choir or orchestra in tuxedo and tails or conducting in the air with his earbuds in place while speed-walking in his Putnam Heights neighborhood.

“The opportunity to make wonderful music with incredible musicians drew me to apply for the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra leadership position,” shared Watkins, whose voice itself sounds like a musical instrument, somewhere between a cello and a viola. “I’ve attended almost every ECCO concert since moving to Eau Claire two years ago, and I have always been impressed with the artistry of the ensemble. When I heard of the opening, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to continue the rich tradition of excellence.”

“From age eight or nine, I knew that I wanted to be a musician. My faith and my parents inspired me to pursue a career in music.” – Frank A. Watkins, music director and conductor, Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra

Volume One caught up with maestro Watkins upon his return from three weeks of self-funded study on the island of Corsica, just off the coast of France, this summer. He went there to research and perform traditional Corsican Polyphony with the world music group Village Harmony. Corsican Polyphony is a choral atonal harmony, typically sung by three voices a capella, and sometimes accompanied by a musical instrument or two. The rich sound and cultural tradition was almost lost after World War I but for Corsican nationalists who revived the technique in the early 1970s.

Watkins is making no small plans. “My plan is to make ECCO one of the premiere chamber orchestras in this region,” he said. “For the 2016-17 season, I chose works that I thought would challenge the musicians and thrill the audience. There is a mix of great music in this year’s season, and I am excited to make the music with the orchestra.”

Watkins was born and raised in Omaha, Neb., known as the “Gateway to the West.” Founded in 1854 at the height of the “Wild West,” the city appears to rise up from the flat Midwestern plains when approaching it from the east.

“Music was around me my whole life,” he continued. “I expressed interest in the piano at age eight. My parents enrolled me in lessons and bought a piano for our home. And then I began playing for my home church, Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, which is where my love and passion for music was nurtured and developed. From age eight or nine, I knew that I wanted to be a musician. My faith and my parents inspired me to pursue a career in music.”

Traditional black gospel music, with songs such as “How Great Thou Art” and artists such as Mahalia Jackson and Thomas A. Dorsey, is Watkin’s first love, and such is the genre of music that inspires him the most. At church, Watkins played the piano and sang in the choir. In middle school and high school, he played the flute, bassoon, euphonium, and tuba, as well as sang in the choir. The seeds of orchestral and choral music were sown at a young age.

Watkins’ 10-page curriculum vitae demonstrates the application of his passion to his career:

• After graduating from William Jennings Bryan High School, he headed to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., where he earned a bachelor of music in piano performance, and graduated summa cum laude, in 2001.

• From there, he traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., where he earned a master of music in piano performance magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2004.

• From 2003-09, Watkins worked as the head choral director at John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas, where he taught more than 300 students.

• He left there to study at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where he earned a master of music in choral conducting, summa cum laude, in 2011.

• Following that, he went on to study at Michigan State University in Lansing, Mich., and he earned a doctorate of musical arts in choral conducting in 2016, the last two years while teaching and conducting the Women’s Concert Chorale, the Women’s Chorus, and the Symphonic Choir at UW-Eau Claire.

Teaching and interacting with students at the college level are other passions of Watkins. In addition to his leadership of the aforementioned choirs at UWEC, he also is co-advisor for the Black Student Alliance group on campus, which strives to provide students of color with the necessary resources to help enrich their overall experience at the university.

Watkins attributes his success with young people to his faith and passion for music. “You must strive to make an impact, not just an impression on the lives of your students,” he concluded. “Therefore, you must be genuine, honest, and compassionate. That is what makes a great teacher.”

And by any measure, those same traits make a great music director and conductor, too. Eau Claire chamber music enthusiasts, welcome Frank A. Watkins.

EAU CLAIRE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
SEASON (2016-17)

A Beethoven Marathon
Sept. 24, 7:30pm, featuring soloist Dr. Nicholas Phillips on the “Emperor” piano concerto.

Baroque Arias & Concertos
Nov. 5, 7:30pm

Family and Friends Concert
Jan. 28, 2pm

An Evening of Grace
March 11, 7:30pm, a tribute to Leonard and Dorellen Haas in collaboration with Grace Lutheran Church and UW-Eau Claire as well as a “Everybody Suddenly Burst Out Singing,” a new composition created by Ivar Lunde, ECCO’s founder.

Musician’s Choice
April 22, 7:30pm, featuring Owen Lovell on Bach’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Paula Kosower on Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1.

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Tickets: Available at the door, Festival Foods, and Neff’s Piano Shop. Season tickets are $65; individual adult, $23; seniors, $20; and student, $8.

Online: www.facebook.com/eauclairechamberorchestra