Sarah Hicks seems perfectly suited for her recently announced appointment as conductor for the latest extension of the Sting Symphonicity Tour scheduled with twenty-nine dates in Europe over June and July of 2011. This cosmopolitan virtuoso was born in Japan, raised in Hawaii and holds an impressive musical pedigree, first as an accomplished piano and viola player in her youth, and then as an adult earning degrees from Harvard in music composition and the Curtis Institute of Music in conducting. Known in orchestral circles as an enthusiastic supporter of new music and contemporary works, Hicks already maintains a crazy schedule traveling back and forth between her three positions as Principle Conductor of Pops and Presentation for the Minnesota Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony and Staff Conductor of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She has extensive experience with the pop/rock genre after working with such notable rockers as John Mayer, Ben Folds and frequent Sting band trumpeter Chris Botti.
Hicks is also the epitome of a 21st century Orchestra Conductor 2.0 as a woman embracing the internet and social media to spread her musical message to a younger, hipper and tech-savvy audience through platforms including her blog "Inside the Classics" and a Twitter profile, where her bio announces succinctly, "Have stick, will travel; conductor-girl on the loose." She is also a self-proclaimed pop culture junkie devouring the latest entertainment news applicable to music through such unlikely sources as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and In Touch. For all these reasons, the Symphonicity podium awaits Sarah Hicks, who was kind enough to share how she landed this impressive gig, what audiences can expect during the upcoming leg of the tour, and her quest to find the perfect pump.
First, congratulations on your appointment as conductor for the summer 2011 extension of the Symphonicity Tour. How did this opportunity come about for you? You probably didn't respond to a help wanted advertisement seeking an "experienced conductor for rock star orchestra tour." Were you previously acquainted with Sting or have you worked together in the past?
I got hooked up with this gig via the "Botti connection." I first met and worked with Chris Botti nearly 3 years ago, and we hit it off musically. He had me come and conduct many of his orchestra dates, and he thought I'd be perfect for "a big symphony tour that Sting's planning," as Chris said. An opportunity to do a short Russian tour in the winter of '10 fell through, and then soon after the team decided to go with Steve Mercurio (who conducts all of Andrea Bocelli's tours). As the tour continued, they decided they wanted to go in a different direction, and they came back to Chris's recommendation (me!). I got the phone call in February. I was so thrilled but had to contain myself because I was in an airport security line, and it's probably wise to not act too crazy!
Were you a fan of The Police in their heyday?
Yep, from back in the "Ghost in the Machine" and "Synchronicity" days.
Would you call yourself a fan of Sting's solo work?
As of that February phone call, I had every one of Sting's studio albums on my laptop except "Symphonicities - Live in Berlin." Of course I immediately went out and bought it.
Are there any Police or Sting songs you consider favorites or that hold special significance for you?
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" was one of the first videos I remember watching on MTV. We weren't allowed to watch much TV when I was growing up, so I'd often sneak into the den late at night to get my MTV fix (they actually played music back then). I was obsessed with "Ten Summoner's Tales", in particular "It's Probably Me" and "Shape of My Heart". I lived in Prague for awhile in 1994, and listening to that album nearly every day got me through those first few really lonely weeks in a new town. As for favorite songs, there are really too many!
How are you currently preparing for the tour?
First, I had to clear my schedule of prior commitments, and there were a lot of those. One set of shows that's still on my docket though are concerts with Chris Botti and the San Francisco Symphony in mid-July; Sting didn't want to take me away from Chris, so I'm flying overnight from Europe to the West Coast and back. And this was really sweet; Chris called me the day I met with Sting and his team to let me know that he wouldn't be offended if I decided to drop the San Francisco dates. There's a lovely mutual respect between them.
Hicks is also the epitome of a 21st century Orchestra Conductor 2.0 as a woman embracing the internet and social media to spread her musical message to a younger, hipper and tech-savvy audience through platforms including her blog "Inside the Classics" and a Twitter profile, where her bio announces succinctly, "Have stick, will travel; conductor-girl on the loose." She is also a self-proclaimed pop culture junkie devouring the latest entertainment news applicable to music through such unlikely sources as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and In Touch. For all these reasons, the Symphonicity podium awaits Sarah Hicks, who was kind enough to share how she landed this impressive gig, what audiences can expect during the upcoming leg of the tour, and her quest to find the perfect pump.
First, congratulations on your appointment as conductor for the summer 2011 extension of the Symphonicity Tour. How did this opportunity come about for you? You probably didn't respond to a help wanted advertisement seeking an "experienced conductor for rock star orchestra tour." Were you previously acquainted with Sting or have you worked together in the past?
I got hooked up with this gig via the "Botti connection." I first met and worked with Chris Botti nearly 3 years ago, and we hit it off musically. He had me come and conduct many of his orchestra dates, and he thought I'd be perfect for "a big symphony tour that Sting's planning," as Chris said. An opportunity to do a short Russian tour in the winter of '10 fell through, and then soon after the team decided to go with Steve Mercurio (who conducts all of Andrea Bocelli's tours). As the tour continued, they decided they wanted to go in a different direction, and they came back to Chris's recommendation (me!). I got the phone call in February. I was so thrilled but had to contain myself because I was in an airport security line, and it's probably wise to not act too crazy!
Were you a fan of The Police in their heyday?
Yep, from back in the "Ghost in the Machine" and "Synchronicity" days.
Would you call yourself a fan of Sting's solo work?
As of that February phone call, I had every one of Sting's studio albums on my laptop except "Symphonicities - Live in Berlin." Of course I immediately went out and bought it.
Are there any Police or Sting songs you consider favorites or that hold special significance for you?
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" was one of the first videos I remember watching on MTV. We weren't allowed to watch much TV when I was growing up, so I'd often sneak into the den late at night to get my MTV fix (they actually played music back then). I was obsessed with "Ten Summoner's Tales", in particular "It's Probably Me" and "Shape of My Heart". I lived in Prague for awhile in 1994, and listening to that album nearly every day got me through those first few really lonely weeks in a new town. As for favorite songs, there are really too many!
How are you currently preparing for the tour?
First, I had to clear my schedule of prior commitments, and there were a lot of those. One set of shows that's still on my docket though are concerts with Chris Botti and the San Francisco Symphony in mid-July; Sting didn't want to take me away from Chris, so I'm flying overnight from Europe to the West Coast and back. And this was really sweet; Chris called me the day I met with Sting and his team to let me know that he wouldn't be offended if I decided to drop the San Francisco dates. There's a lovely mutual respect between them.
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