From the desk of arts writer Phyllis Boros.
A few things about Maestro Gustav Meier, who ended his 41-season tenure with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony with an extraordinary concert Saturday night at the Klein:
1. Just in case you missed the Editorial Page on Sunday (4/21),the Post’s “Gratitude of a City” editorial is attached below. … short and very, very sweet.
2. Saturday’s GBS concert (4/20) at the Klein turned out to be one of the most touching events seen in Bridgeport in a long time. The packed theater was full of appreciative music-lovers who gave Meier and orchestra round after round of applause. The guest pianist — Vanessa Perez of Venezuela — was sensational during the first half; the second part of the program was all-GBS & Gustav performing Brahms Symphony No. 1.
For an encore, the orchestra & the maestro performed the rousing overture to the “Marriage of Figaro,” by Mozart (Gustav’s favorite composer).
3. Now that his “work” is done, Meier will fly in (from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan) to “party” at a “Standing Ovation” gala in his honor on the evening of Saturday, May 4, at the Patterson Club in Fairfield.
For tickets, and more info, contact Alex Morr, GBS executive director, at 203-576-0263 or visit www.gbs.org.
Gratitude of a city
Bravo, Maestro.
After 41 extraordinary seasons wielding the conductor’s baton with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, Gustav Meier is calling it quits.
At age 83, he’s lost none of the gusto that he brought to performances in Bridgeport, but has decided the time is right to put his tie and tails away and pursue other projects, including, perhaps, the writing of a memoir.
Times are never easy for cultural institutions, particularly in a city like Bridgeport with its mix of urban problems.
The Swiss-born Meier, though, added the grace notes of elegance and sophistication to the song of the city and certainly was instrumental through the sheer force of his personality in helping to keep the symphony, truly a community symphony, on its feet.
We thank him for his commitment to the city and its symphony and wish him well with his plans.
