Conducting
David Pickett studied conducting with the Russian conductor Igor Markevitch in France, Monaco and Germany. He also assisted Markevitch in the preparation of his Encylopaedic Edition of the Beethoven symphonies and oversaw its posthumous publication.
To date he has been Music Director of seven ensembles.
Lapeer County Concert Choir, Michigan 2004–2006
The choir gave concerts in both Lapeer and St. Clair Counties.
Pickett’s repertoire included
• Beethoven: Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur
• Bruckner: Virga Jesse
• Byrd: Rorate coeli de super
• Gibbons: This is the Record of John
• Handel: Messiah (uncut)
• Haydn: Spring from The Seasons
• Mendelssohn: Hear my Prayer
• Praetorius: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen
• Sweelinck: Hodie Christus natus est
SC4 Symphonic Band, Port Huron, Michigan 2002–2005
In addition to an annual series of concerts in the McMorran Auditorium, Port Huron, the band performed concerts in Lexington and Maryville and played at the annual graduation ceremonies.
Napier University Orchestra, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1999–2000
The orchestra performed at graduation ceremonies, and gave regular concerts on the Napier University campus and in and around Edinburgh.
Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Indiana 1987–1995
In addition to the annual Night in Old Vienna dinner-dance events, Pickett conducted a concert of the music of P. D. Q. Bach with guest artist Peter Schickele.
The repertoire of the orchestra during Pickett's tenure was wide-ranging, including:
World Premières
• Frederick Fox: Dark Moons/Bright Shadows
• Dennis Meckler: Mirages
• Daniel Powers: The Minotaur
• Einojuhani Rautavaara: Symphony No.7, Angel of Light
• James Underwood: Glider, Grendel, and Grendel’s Mother
• Sulaiman Zai: A Christmas Offering
Works by Bloomington composers
• Thomas Beversdorf: Serenade
• Walter Bricht: Symphonic Suite
• Hoagie Carmichael: Brown County Autumn
• Bernhard Heiden: Salute
• George List: Marche O’Malley
• Newell Long: Hoosier Hills Hymn and Hoedown
Other unusual works
• Arnold: Flute Concerto, op.45
• Bizet: Patrie! Overture
• Delius: Brigg Fair
• Glazunov: Finnish Fantasy
• Humperdinck: Suite from Hansel and Gretel
• Karlowicz: Symphony in E minor, op.7
• Merikanto: Notturno
• Moniuszko: Bajka Overture
• Panufnik: Concerto Festivo
• Panufnik: Tragic Overture
• Rachmaninov: Isle of the Dead
• Schuman: New England Triptych
Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Indiana, 1985–1997
Highlights of Pickett’s twelve years with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra include:
• the establishment of CarmelFest
• the establishment of the annual Youth Concerto Competition
• annual performances of Tschaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet
• the US première of Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Lintukoto
• the Indiana première of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio
• world premières of David Dzubay’s Symphonic Dance and Michael Schelle’s Spirits
Unusual Repertoire
• Busoni: Clarinet Concertino
• Chabrier: Suite Pastorale
• Delius: On Hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring
• Elgar: Froissart Overture
• Holst: A Fugal Overture
• Ibert: Concertino da Camera
• Kennan: Night Soliloquy
• Moniuszko: Jawnuta Overture
• Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus
• Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments
• Szymanowski: Roxana’s Song
• Vaughan Williams. Double Piano Concerto
• Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast
Bloomington Brass Band, Indiana, 1984–1989
This British-style brass band was formed of players from Bloomington, Indiana, together with selected students of the IU School of Music. In addition to regular concerts in Bloomington, the ensemble was frequently invited to perform in other communities of southern Indiana. In 1985 the band placed second in the NABBA Championships in Toronto, Ontario, and Kris Dahlin, the E-flat soprano cornet player, won the prize for solo performance.
Bushey Symphony Orchestra, England, 1974–1983
Pickett was the founder of Bushey Symphony Orchestra. With it he conducted all the Beethoven Symphonies and much more. Highlights of his tenure include:
• concerts in England: Bushey and Watford, Herts; Uxbridge, Clapham,
Wroughton and Wolverton
• concerts in France (Chartres and Orléans),
Belgium (Antwerp and Robertville),
Holland (Den Haag, Groningen, Haarlem)
and Germany (Viernheim, Rietberg, Reichenbach, Lautertal and Mainz)
• the Rank Xerox Composition Prize (1979), won by Raymond Parfrey’s
Awayday Overture
• UK première of Daniel Abrams: Flute Concerto
• world premières of
Michael Kitchin: Four Moods;
Pat Moss: Soliloquy for Flute and Strings
Suite for Flute and Strings
Suite for Bassoon
• two published LP recordings
Guest Conducting
• Biel/Bienne Philharmonic Orchestra, Switzerland
• Czestochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, Poland
• Slupsk Symphony Orchestra, Poland
• Orchestra of the Chopin Academy, Warsaw, Poland
• British Youth Symphony Orchestra
• British Youth Chamber Orchestra
• Collegiate Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
• Music on the Fens, Cambridge, England
• Indiana University Orchestras (Nutcracker Ballet and concert appearances)
• Atlantic Brass Band, New Jersey
• Bowling Green Philharmonia, Ohio
• CAMMAC, Québec
• Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Indiana
• Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra
• Kearney Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska
• International Symphony Orchestra, Michigan and Ontario
Soloists who have appeared with David Pickett include:
• Nicholas Ashton, piano
• Jonathan Biss, piano
• Katya Cerovsek, piano
• Leonard Hokanson, piano
• Martin Hughes, piano
• Shigeo Neriki, piano
• Stephen Prutsman, piano
• Andrzej Ratusiński piano
• Bernard Roberts, piano
• Christopher Taylor, piano
• James Tocco, piano
• Corey Cerovsek, violin
• Nona Liddell, violin
• Yfrah Neaman, violin
• Marie Hallynck, cello
• Fritz Magg, cello
• Arkady Orlovsky, cello
• Janos Starker, cello
• Teresa Kubiak, soprano
• Catherine Wyn-Rogers, mezzo-soprano
• Peter Lloyd, flute
• Anton Weinberg, clarinet
• David Bell, organ
• D. J. Enright, poet (Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf)
• Peter Schickele (P. D. Q. Bach)
Programming and Repertoire
An important feature of Pickett’s approach to music making has been a thorough grounding in the classical style through regular contact with the Viennese masters, balanced by appropriate and complementary programming of romantic, modern and contemporary music and the encouragement of local composers.
Finnish music has been heavily represented in Pickett’s repertoire, including the music of Sibelius, Merrikanto, and the contemporary composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. In 1994, Pickett commissioned Rautavaara to write a symphony for the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Indiana, conducting in 1995 the world première of this work (Symphony No. 7, “Angel of Light”). Together with Cantus Arcticus, this symphony has become one of the most played and recorded works of Rautavaara. Pickett also conducted the US premières of Rautavaara’s Lintukoto (Isle of Bliss) and Third Symphony.
with the composer Einojuhani Rautavaara
"As to the Seventh Symphony, I don’t think I would have composed it — at least, not at that time — without David Pickett..." Einojuhani Rautavaara (Fanfare July/Aug 1996)
He also has a special relationship with the music of Poland, having visited the country many times. He regularly programmes works by Chopin, Moniuszko, Szymanowski, Baird, Lutoslawski, and particularly Andrzej Panufnik, the revised version of whose Sinfonia Votiva he conducted in Warsaw and Czestochowa.
with the composer Andrzei Panufnik
Children’s Concerts
Pickett’s approach to Children’s Concerts has proved popular with youngsters and parents alike
He takes great care to choose pieces which appeal specifically to young listeners, and introduces the works from the stage, taking his cue from Leonard Bernstein’s example. He often involves the youngsters in performance during the concert, through audience participation and by inviting as many children as space will allow to perform on stage with the orchestra.
In preparing these concerts he works closely with local schools and music teachers.
Masterworks Concerts
On occasion, Pickett has performed a single masterwork in a concert, preceded by an illustrated lecture in which the orchestra also participates. Supporting material is provided by handouts (with facsimiles), display photographs and PowerPoint presentations.
• Bach: A Musical Offering
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B flat
• Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Haydn
• Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D
• Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor