Conductor to Celebrate Red, White and Blue--and Black

Some guest conductors with the San Diego Symphony step off the podium, check out of their hotels and are never seen locally again. Others, such as Soviet Georgian conductor Jansoug Kakhidze, who made his San Diego debut at the 1989 Soviet Arts Festival, have returned regularly to grace the orchestra’s subscription series.

Another guest, Leslie Dunner, associate conductor of the Detroit Symphony, made an auspicious debut with the San Diego Symphony in January when he pulled together the disparate components of the orchestra’s hastily planned musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dunner returns next week for a four-night stint with the SummerPops (July 3-6) at Embarcadero Marina Park South.

Dunner, who prefers adventurous programming and sees himself as an advocate of African-American composers, had to work within the confines of the pops’ customary patriotic Independence Day theme.

“The music was supposed to be fun for the audience and be a tribute to the members of the armed forces who served in Operation Desert Storm,” Dunner explained.

To fulfill those requirements, he included the predictable Sousa march, Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” Peter J. Wilhousky’s “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and a medley of armed forces songs, all touchstones of patriotic fervor. Dunner also selected African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork’s “American Port of Call.” Since San Diego is a major military port, Dunner reasoned, Hailstork’s programmatic piece fit.

“I don’t make it a rigorous practice of putting black composers on my programs--it has to fit the theme in some way--but it seems to have worked out that way over this last year. I’ve become a strong advocate of Hailstork’s music. We played his “Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed” in San Diego, for example, and I’m doing his First Symphony this October on a Detroit Symphony subscription concert.”

Dunner, who holds graduate degrees in both conducting and musicology, keeps his finger on the pulse of contemporary black music by working regularly with three of Harlem’s notable musical organizations. Since 1986, he has worked with the Dance Theatre of Harlem; last fall he started conducting for Opera Ebony, and he also works with the Harlem Festival Orchestra.

“For Opera Ebony, I conducted ensemble scenes from Dorothy Rudd-Moore’s opera “Frederick Douglass.” In September, I will do a complete production of Mozart’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ with them.”

Getting the music of black composers such as Anthony Davis and Rudd-Moore before audiences is Dunner’s particular calling.

“It’s a repertory that most people don’t know, even though it’s very accessible and not at all abstruse. Rudd-Moore, for example, uses a rather complex 12-tone serial style in her orchestral writing, but her dramatic vocal lines are based on spirituals.”

Dunner is no crusader for novelty, however.

“I never plug music because it’s new, but because it has something to say,” he said. “It’s a task worth doing, and I have a track record for being successful at it.”

Violists of the world, unite. Another new music champion, violist Karen Elaine, premiered David Ward-Steinman’s “Cinnabar” for viola and piano June 15 at the 19th International Viola Congress held in Ithaca, N.Y. In her solo recital, she was accompanied by Ward-Steinman, pianist and resident composer at San Diego State University. The previous day, Elaine soloed in Paganini’s “Sonata per la Gran Viola,” with the U.S. Air Force String Orchestra. The congress’ orchestra concert featured three other noted viola soloists, including Donald McInnes.

Kevin Kenner on the air. A camera crew from KPBS-TV (Channel 15) was on hand Wednesday night to record Kevin Kenner’s performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the San Diego Symphony. The local station has prepared a 30-minute interview with the Coronado-born musician, who won the bronze medal in Moscow’s 1990 international Tchaikovsky Competition. KPBS’ Dan Erwine interviewed Kenner along with San Diego Symphony executive director Wesley Brustad.

At 9 p.m. Aug. 30, the TV station will air a KCET-produced, 90-minute documentary on the competition. To complement this program, in which Kenner performs, KPBS will air the local interview immediately afterward.