Conductor Seeks Encore for Local Orchestra : Simi Valley: New resident Philippe Fanjeaud gathers musicians to build a chamber ensemble. A previous attempt fell apart in 1990.

Using empty chairs to prop up their sheet music on the cramped stage, a small ensemble of musicians coaxed the opening notes out of their instruments--the beginning of what they hope will be a Simi Valley-based chamber orchestra.

Conductor Philippe Fanjeaud, 44, followed along, reading the music while keeping tempo with a wave of his hand.

“It was good,” Fanjeaud said after the group of strangers played for the first time. “Nobody knew the work we were playing, but everyone did quite well.”

Fanjeaud, a French-born composer, organized the meeting after being approached by a few other local musicians who heard about his experience conducting musical groups. They wanted him to help resurrect a community-based orchestra in Simi Valley.

Fanjeaud has not had a chance to conduct since he worked with the Berkeley String Ensemble seven years ago in the Bay Area. Volunteering to conduct was a chance to get back to doing what he loved, he said, and become involved in his newly adopted community.

“This is a really great way to participate and get to know people,” said Fanjeaud, who moved to Simi Valley from Los Angeles County with his American wife and two children six months ago.

A professional musician most of his life, Fanjeaud said he now makes his living composing scores for television and movies from his studio at home. He said his latest project consists of converting the orchestration of classical music to computer disks for a computer company in Sacramento.

His work with the chamber would just be another way of sharing his love for classical music, he said.

“There are a lot of people here that desire something like this,” he said. “I think Simi really needs an orchestra.”

About 15 musicians, ranging in age from their early teens to their late 40s, came out for the chamber orchestra’s first meeting at the Simi Valley Civic Arts building.

“We had 13- and 14-year-olds who really did their job,” Fanjeaud said. “I was really pleased there were so many young musicians. It proves that people shouldn’t make general criticism of young people today. This takes a tremendous amount of work. We should promote and encourage these kids.”

Fanjeaud said he hoped the group would eventually attract about 25 people who could form a small chamber orchestra.

“We had three violinists,” he said. “My dream would be for at least 20--enough for a full orchestra, but I’m not dreaming. If we had seven, that would be enough.”

A community-based orchestra in Simi Valley failed in 1990 after losing its practice space, recalled Irene Silbert, a musician active in the local arts community. The director of that orchestra, Ingrid Ely, could not keep the group together after she and her husband, the late James (Tom) Ely, were investigated for misappropriating funds from the Ventura County Community College District.

“But don’t even mention that orchestra in the same breath as this one,” Silbert said. “We’re not resurrecting the old orchestra. This will be totally different.”

Silbert said that the idea to form the group arose when her longtime friend, Fanjeaud, moved to Simi Valley.

“It was an opportunity,” she said. “A professional conductor came to the area who doesn’t have an orchestra but wants to practice his craft. Along with that is the fact that in this city of 100,000 people, there are a lot of decent musicians who need a venue in which to play.”

James Hanna, 42, a professional musician who works for orchestras throughout the Southland, played his viola in the group. His son looked on from seats in front of the stage while listening to rock music on his headphones.

“I live in Simi Valley and I feel this is a service to the community,” Hanna said. “It might have started out a little rough, but it will snowball into something.”

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Assn. President Jan Glasband said she hopes interest in the group takes off.

“Any kind of cultural enlightenment for Simi Valley is welcome,” she said.

If the group succeeds and expands into a full-sized symphony orchestra, Glasband said, they might be able to perform in the new Cultural Arts Center.

“If it works out, that might be a nice home for them,” she said.

For his part, Fanjeaud said he is upbeat about the future of the fledgling group. He said the next step was to obtain additional sheet music for each of the instruments before the group’s second meeting on Wednesday.

“For now we’ll stick to the classics like Mozart and Haydn,” he said. “I think with two months practice we’ll be ready for our first concert.”

FYI

Musicians interested in joining the chamber orchestra should attend the next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3190 Cochran Street, Simi Valley. For more information call Irene Silbert at (818) 346-7278.