He's gregarious and gifted, a commanding pianist and a conductor captivated by classical music's "bad boys." This week The American Sound spotlights William Eddins, the famously ebullient music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, in Part Two of our four-part series celebrating the work of noted African American conductors during Black History Month. Tune in to Classical 101 6 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Tuesday to hear Eddins conduct music by Virgil Thomson. Eddins has served as music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2005. He also co-authors with Ron Spigelman the Inside the Arts blog Sticks and Drones: Two Conductors on the Beat and produces the chamber music podcast series Classical Connections. In 2008, awaiting a flight to Paris, Eddins spoke on-camera eye about the "mayhem" he anticipated in the rehearsals for his then-upcoming gig leading the Opéra de Lyon in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess:
Not exactly your average "stuffy" conductor. Given the twinkle in his eye, it's perhaps not surprising that Eddins seems to have a certain reverence for the bad boys of classical music. He recently conducted the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in a program called "The Eddins Effect" and featuring music by "bad boy" composer George Antheil and irreverent works by other composers. He is also showcased as pianist on the recording Bad Boys, Vol. 1, featuring piano music by Beethoven and William Albright - and featuring an album cover emblazoned with Eddins' own tongue-in-cheek, bad-boy mugshots. Celebrate Black History Month with the work of conductor William Eddins on The American Sound, 6 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Tuesday on Classical 101.
