Conductor Profile: Dr. Marc Élysée

On Thursday, October 20th, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the Andrews University Symphony Orchestra’s new conductor, Dr. Marc Élysée. We had a conversation about everything from his earliest introductions to the world of music to his personal and professional accomplishments to his hopes for the future of the AU orchestra.

As I walk into Dr. Élysée’s office on the second floor of Hamel Hall, the sound of ardent violin practice floods the room. While sharing a laugh about the intensity of the playing, Dr. Élysée gives me a brief life sketch: He was born in France to a pastoral family, moving to Reunion Island soon after, then back to France at the age of eight. Dr. Élysée stayed in France until he was 20 years old, earning a degree in musicology at Marc Bloch University. At age 20, he moved to Canada where he earned a degree in violin performance at McGill University in Montreal and met his wife, Carolina. From Montreal, he came to Andrews University where he completed his graduate studies, worked as an adjunct faculty, and led the pre-college string program. Leaving Andrews, Dr. Élysée continued his education at James Madison University in Virginia, where he received a doctorate degree. He then moved to Texas, where he and his wife had their twin sons—who are now seven years old.

I ask him to talk to me about his introduction to the world of music. “What are your earliest encounters with music? What inspired you to embark on this journey?” He responds, “My earliest memory is [of] watching a performance. I believe it was Yehudi Menuhin, who was performing a violin concerto. I was maybe like four or five, so it was [during] the time where it was black and white TV with no push buttons[...] you had to dial just like an old radio.” He jokes about how only the faculty reading this article would understand that reference while the students would be left completely lost. Around the time that he encountered this violin performance, Dr. Élysée’s parents bought him a violin—which was his initial encounter with what would come to be his instrument of expertise. He talks about his humble beginnings with the violin stating, “I was not a genius at first[...] the genius part came after,” jokingly instructing me to “write in the laughter” so he does not sound too arrogant. He tells me that his musical journey really started, however, when the family moved back to France and he began violin lessons at age nine and quickly made tremendous progress. “I actually learned how to play by ear really really well. So well that I actually won a national competition and I did not know how to read music, really. But nobody knew.” The competition he won is called Les Tournois du Royaume de la Musique—hosted by Radio France. He was twelve when he received this award. Soon after, he went on to study at a conservatory in France where he continued to learn and grow.

His introduction to conducting occurred when he sang in a church choir directed by his mother. As with many church choirs, the sound was not very high quality. To enhance the sound of the group, he began giving his mother suggestions to make the choir sound better. She eventually handed the choir over for him to conduct. Conducting the choir “felt natural” and he had a good connection with the singers. It was after this success that the idea of being a conductor grew within him.

When I ask about his decision to accept the position as conductor of the AU symphony orchestra, Dr. Élysée highlights the importance of working in an institution that shares the same faith-based values. He cites the concerns of his parents when he first began his journey toward being a musical professional. They knew he would come across difficulties with keeping the Sabbath and other such challenges regarding his faith. Despite his and his parents’ concerns, he put his trust in God moving forward. “When I decided to study to become a professional musician, I prayed a simple prayer telling God that I would put in all the effort I could to be the best I could [be], technically speaking, and then that He would provide the right means for me so that I would not starve,” he says reflectively. “I held my end of the bargain the best I could and I think God blessed.” He adds that the quality of acoustics provided by the Howard Performing Arts Center is rare among Adventist institutions; that it is a unique and excellent tool to have the proper hall for concerts with the symphony orchestra.

When I ask him about the symphony orchestra’s debut concert of the season (which occurred this past Saturday night), Dr. Élysée talks fondly about the work that he has been doing with the orchestra in recent weeks preparing for the concert—work that he was enthusiastic to share with an expectant audience. “I am very very happy with the work we’ve been doing [...] I hope we have a lot of attendance.” He went on to characterize the pieces featured in the Fall Concert, stating that “there's a lot of thinking that goes into choosing the right repertoire. Knowing the ability [of the orchestra] and choosing something that is a little bit beyond so that they can move forward [is important].”

The following are Dr. Élysée’s descriptions of the selections for the concert:

Marche Joyeuse - Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894)

“It’s a very joyful march and I think it illustrates the dynamic I want to use to work with the orchestra. [It is] full of energy and very focused [...] order and joy can actually go together. The more things are organized, the more we can afford to be happy. If everything is unpredictable, it is very stressful and difficult to feel secure in such conditions.”

Introduction and Tarantella - Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)

“The second piece will feature a young [violin] soloist, Mailyn Iribar (freshman, music performance). She’s a freshman and I'm a freshman in my own right, I would say. We’re both new. I’m happy that she was recommended for this first performance because I think, you know, she has a lot of that energy and the stamina that we need.”

Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” - Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

“As any symphony, it’s built in four movements. The two outer movements are like big pillars—very grounded. The second movement is very slow and soft. And the third movement is the scherzo which is very challenging in terms of rhythm [...] sometimes dance-like. All throughout the symphony, what is nice is that Dvořák included a lot of melodies that were popular amongst different groups of people constituting the new Americas. He brought things from the indigenous Americans, he brought things from the Irish, and there are also other themes that appear. Some are European themes like the Czech Republic, where [the composer] is from [...] it brings [out] the best of each culture brought here.”

After describing the selections for the program, I ask Dr. Élysée to talk about what he hopes to portray to the audience through the music. He talks about music as a language; it is one of the most direct ways we can form genuine human connections with all types of people. He hopes for the audience to “journey with us through all the emotions that are embedded in the music. I want it to be an intimate and close experience with the music.”

Because he has such a vast understanding of orchestral music as a well-established conductor, I decide to ask Dr. Élysée a question that would hopefully require him to make a connection between his technical knowledge of music and an introspective look at his own life. I ask, “What orchestral work do you believe most accurately describes or represents your life?” With a suddenly contemplative expression he responds, “Oh man, this is so interesting.” He pauses and ponders the question. “I think it would be “The Planets” by Gustav Holst. I believe that my life is organized in chapters. I'm not anticipating when a chapter is going to close and when it's going to open. But each of them is like a complete movement on its own.” He talks about how certain chapters open and then completely close—like childhood—while other chapters overlap, like building a career as a musician while building a family. “In life, we try to make sense of why we're here, what we do, and why things happen. We're constantly trying to put a little label on something. And so I see my life a little bit like that.”

To wrap up our conversation, I shift focus to his future plans for the symphony orchestra, asking what potential he sees in the current group. He responds, “I like the dynamic that students are open to actually trying something [new]. What we’re doing is trying to create the right habits. With anything, when you have good habits, work tends to be more efficient.” He talks about the technical capabilities that individual members of the orchestra possess. Even more important, however, is for individual members to learn how to rely on each other because they know their peers are good. He says, “It’s not just playing the music, it's how you can be a support to someone else and someone else can be a support to you. This is what I like the most about the orchestra: you learn how to trust people and people learn how to trust you. It’s a fantastic place to learn skills not just in music but actually beyond music; how to be dependable [and] reliable. A lot of the quality of the performance depends on the dynamic within the group.”

In reflecting on my conversation with Dr. Élysée, I am deeply appreciative of the gift his presence brings to the symphony orchestra and campus at large. With a conductor as passionate and committed to his work as he is to us as students, I have no doubt that we have the ability to cultivate a space in which we can truly experience the richness of all that music has to offer.