Photo credit: Jonathan Lo (www.jonathanloconductor.com)
Following the London Ballet Circle’s 76th Annual General Meeting, we were pleased to be joined by the acclaimed ballet conductor, Jonathan Lo, in conversation with dance writer Graham Watts. Among other appointments, Jonathan has served as Music Director at Northern Ballet, Principal Guest Conductor of the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra, Staff Conductor at the Royal Ballet, and has recently moved to Melbourne to assume the Music Directorship at Australian Ballet.
Graham started the conversation by asking Jonathan about his move to Melbourne. Jonathan said it is “wonderful to see a city that takes its culture so seriously, and that welcomes ballet with open arms.” Jonathan’s passion for music was evident, and he talked about music’s ability to connect audiences and performers, as well as the enthusiasm in the Australian orchestras for keeping music “fresh and alive.”
Despite Jonathan’s enthusiasm for music, he recalled that neither of his parents were musical and were not initially thrilled at his choice of career. However, his dedication won him a place to study at Oxford, on an organ scholarship. He also shared that he had a long-held ambition to be a conductor and that he was able to “explore that ambition at university”, where he conducted the choir.
Jonathan provided the audience with fascinating insights into the nuances of ballet conducting, including how he manages and works alongside the dancers, how he adapts the tempo to suit the dancers’ needs – but he emphasised that this doesn’t mean sacrificing musicality – and how he interprets music “based on the demands of different artists, choreographers, as well as the composer.” Jonathan concluded that “ballet conducting is a unique skillset; it’s challenging and really rewarding.”
A full report of this event will be available in due course and a recording made available on the website.