I'm here at the South Bend Symphony Orchestra's office in downtown South Bend as we get ready for their big Home for the holidays concert that is happening.

The performance happening this weekend.

And I'm here with Alistair.

Alistair, tell me about your role in the symphony.

Great to be here with you.

I am the music director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and couldn't be more thrilled for our holiday concerts this weekend.

And so I did get to see you once conducting.

And I didn't realize, you know, you're from Surrey.

Not to be confused with.

Sorry, but Surrey, which is south of London.

It is, and I'm obviously from Dublin.

We both live over here.

How did you end up in this area?

I know I get asked that question about 50 times a week, so I'm wondering how you did.

I wonder what your answer.

If your answer is the same as I always say witness protection, I actually just that's not my answer then.

No, no, no.

There there's a fantastic orchestra here.

And they had an opening.

I applied for the job and won the job.

And that's why I'm here.

And I love living here.

The orchestra is fantastic.

And, concerts this weekend, two of our most popular concerts all season.

Perfect for the holiday.

Time.

If nothing says holiday like music, does it?

There was a time, a couple of years ago that I got to come along where it was a night of tango, which totally different show.

But it was my first time experiencing, the symphony.

Because sometimes I feel like the symphony, some people are very much like.

Yes, that's definitely for me.

And some people, maybe if they grew up like me, you know, I grew up, you know, a little bit lower class, like more common I did, you know, the symphony was never exposed to me.

So I went along to this with my mom when she was over to visit.

And honestly, I was blown away.

I was like, this is fantastic.

So it doesn't feel like it's always for everyone, but it really is, right?

Yeah, music absolutely is for everyone.

And we, we do our best to make our, concerts and our performances accessible to our entire community.

We do that with programs in the community, not just at the Maurice or DeBartolo Notre Dame.

And we have a full season long of, of concerts that we reach out and we bring people together for music.

It's, it's a wonderful thing.

Music does bring us together, especially this time of year.

Yeah.

And it's just it's really great, especially with Christmas.

It's just where you go to encourage people.

Again, that may not, may not be on their bucket list to go.

What would you say to them just to encourage them that it is for them as well.

And it's concerts are just a wonderful opportunity for great creativity.

And if you if you like music in any sense, any, any shape or form or think that you don't become and you will, music is just part of our DNA.

How we live every single day.

It's everywhere.

Music is everywhere.

Even in the gym that I worked out the other day, I heard the entire Christmas program about the conductor as I was doing my run in my workout.

But the difference is that was canned music.

This was, coming over the loudspeakers to hear a real orchestra, to admire their virtuosity, to to hear and be with, with a group of people, an audience, to have your heart all synchronized together.

And and folks and singing along all together.

We've got some sing along, songs that I said there's nothing like.

Like being in the room.

Like experiencing live this music, this, this feeling.

Yeah.

Which is so powerful this time of year.

The energy, the shared energy is off the charts when you're, you know.

Absolutely.

I always felt that with Irish traditional music, I'm not sure if you're familiar with the diva, but when I listen to it on the radio and make my ears want to bleed, like, you know, and then but when you're in a pub or you're in a live venue and you just feel the energy of the musicians playing together, there's just something very magical about that.

You mentioned about some singalong songs.

What else can people expect from the show?

Well, we have of course, the center of the show is, is are the, the virtuosic, brilliant, dedicated, fantastic, amazing musicians of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra who come from all over.

Some live in town, some come away as far as Chicago and beyond.

We have this year a choir, the Michigan Festival Chorus, which has been directed by, Juan Carlos Alarcon and prepared.

I have a rehearsal with them tonight to get them already.

And there's really when you put holiday music, together, voices and singing are so important.

So not only will we sing for you, you will sing with us.

If you come with us.

We also have, we might have a a visit from Santa as to the expected.

We've got always got some surprises, which I can't tell you about.

You have to come and, and hear for yourself.

But we've got repertoire that is familiar, which people love.

Different arrangements.

Oh, it's all about the arrangements and making great arrangements that the orchestra love playing.

They sound really good arrangements, tunes you might know, but arrangements you might not have heard before.

This helps keeps it all fresh.

So you mentioned Santa being there.

So is this an all ages show you do expect a lot of?

Or is it just for the adults and this you're never too old for Santa.

You're never too obvious.

At least I never will be.

We have a Saturday evening and a Sunday afternoon, and so it's for the whole family.

And you can pick which one you want to bring your four year old or six year old to.

Yeah, I have a two year old, so it has to be the afternoon.

It will be the afternoon.

We don't stay out after 7 p.m.

anymore.

I certainly remember those days very well, but it is really for the whole family.

It's something for for the, community.

Family, if you will, to experience and to enjoy together.

Well, I appreciate it.

And I know we're going to talk to the executive director and learn a little bit more about looking forward to next year as well.

But, it was really nice to meet you and continue great work.

And the symphony really is a joy to see.

So thank you.

Thank you so much.

And now after speaking with Alistair, I'm speaking with Steven, who's the executive director of the symphony.

Stephen, you've been here since August 4th in the area.

Where did you come from before you from here, or did you move here for the role?

A little of both, actually.

Originally, I'm actually from Wisconsin, so I was born and raised, grew up in Wisconsin.

But, for the last 35 or so years, I've had so much incredible experience of working in great locations from Philadelphia to San Francisco, Los Angeles, of Arizona.

But yes, just prior to, to coming back to the Midwest, here to South Bend, that was in, South Florida for the last five years.

So how are you enjoying the, the winter?

Winter.

Yes, I, I needed the reminder, but actually, I, I love it.

It's I, I missed being back here.

I missed of being in four seasons.

The of course, South Florida was hot and very hot, there all the time.

Right.

So it's so wonderful to be back here and be, closer to family as well.

But most importantly, just to be part of a community such as this, that that really understands what it has and, and celebrates, especially within the performing arts as your whole career, been in the same industry or with nonprofits or as it all led to this?

Or have you done this before?

I have done this before.

This sounds like the interviewing committee for the for the job.

I was gonna say, I'm already here.

Yeah.

Can I have your resume?

Actually, I've worked with several different, symphonies and most of my career has been with, symphony orchestras.

From the Philly pops where I was the president, CEO, vice president, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Tucson Symphony.

But, through my various positions, I've also worked with San Francisco Symphony, Miami City Ballet, been in 13 different performing arts centers, but for one, a brief period of time, for a few years, I was actually vice president of the San Francisco Zoo.

So music.

And then it's you.

But separate all the people together.

It's also, but, what a wonderful entity that was.

And it was, a great learning experience as well for me.

And I work personally with a lot of nonprofit organizations, and the symphony is a nonprofit.

How do you kind of convince the community that it is a worthy nonprofit when there's, you know, nonprofits helping children and different things?

What is it about the symphony?

Because it does get a lot of support, but how do you really how do you really, reiterate that in the community of just how important that is?

I, I really appreciate the question.

And I think it's something we're always trying to, reinvigorate as well as reinvent a little bit.

Yeah.

Which is that those bonds, and the relationship that we have with the community, we all, as nonprofit organizations, constantly have to show why we are relevant to this, community.

And what makes this a credible, organization to, to support.

And yet it and it can't just be by the sheer nature of our 20, I'm sorry, 93 year, history.

I truly have seen in these four months, how important this organization is, you know, to the entire Michiana region.

This is the largest nonprofit performing arts entity in this in this region.

And even the university looks to us when they are, when they need professional partnership, when they, they look to A-lister, who has, you know, come there and conducted so many different times with the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra as well.

So we recognize our place in the community and recognize as well so many other arts organizations.

So social service entities, in in value their importance as well.

Yeah.

But just seeing the significant impact that this organization has made for 93 years musically and brought how many tens and tens of thousands of students into our performances with the youth performances as well.

Is it is a a very measurable impact.

That is, I think, worthy of, of support.

We talk to Alastair about home for the holidays coming up, and I really wanted to get to know you since you're new in this role.

But as we have a minute or so left here, do you have any highlights for 2026 that are really on your radar that you think they're going to be just great shows?

I mean, I know they're all great shows, but is there 1 or 2 that you could tell us about?

Oh, absolutely.

I mean, we have the masterworks, series, mosaic as well as pops.

And that's what I love about, what Alistair has brought to this organization for, nine and a half years now.

Is this incredible, mix, of of different styles of music, you know, from here starting in January of 2026, which seems like a lifetime away, but just a few weeks.

Yeah, but it's it's a focus on our musicians, which I think is so important, in January with our, first mosaic of the season, January 11th, featuring our principal opus, and, Jeanette.

And, there will be a beautiful performance in February.

We have, of, local, band playing with us as well as part of our pop series, the Bergamot.

Oh, yeah.

We've interviewed them many times on the show, and they just had a performance recently at the Morris as well.

It really will be.

And then we have the principal.

Clarinetist from New York Philharmonic coming at the end of January.

So it's this, incredible mixture of, of of artists and styles of music, and just a great celebration of what we have right here in this region.

Well, the first experience, as I mentioned to Alistair, was a night of tango that I went along to, and I didn't know what I was getting into, and I absolutely loved it.

So it is great that you were able to bring so many genres and just really reflect the entire community, and not just one sound or, you know, one thing.

And and so I love that you're doing that and I appreciate that.

And I also like to say that the symphony is the greatest instrument ever created.

It is this mixture of sounds and insights as well.

And, you know, from the strings to the brass, percussion, and the winds, it really is this incredible ensemble, making the, the sounds that Alastair has so brilliantly crafted for his nearly ten years of being here.

Wow.

I didn't realize he was here that next year will be celebrating his 10th 10th anniversary season.

Yeah, what a celebration that will be for Alastair with ten years.

Well, thank you so much.

Best of luck in your in your new new role and in 2026.

I wish you all the best.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate you having me on.