Magical moments: Elisabeth Fuchs

Ms. Fuchs, where does your passion for conducting come from? 

It comes from the love of music – with which I was probably born – from my surroundings and an open approach to music, from children's songs and brass instruments. Looking back, I had a very natural approach to it. At music high school in Linz, I had a great teacher who opened up this big world to all of us. Already in the fifth grade we were all allowed to conduct, that was unusual. Every class had a class choir at that time, and our class was allowed to play for Amnesty International once. When the question came up who should rehearse it, the whole class said: Lisi should do it. From then on it was clear that conducting was my thing. At that time, however, I had not yet thought of doing it professionally. I wasn't especially gifted or anything. When I was 16, I sang the St. Matthew's Passion in London with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. That was a magical performance for me – so intense. At the time I thought, what must it be like to be able to shape that sound and be the link between the orchestra and the music. The final decision was made when I was 21 or 22. Following the advice of Balduin Sulzer, I founded an orchestra, the Philharmonie Salzburg. After the first concert as conductor, I knew: this is it. When it flows, when it goes through you, when you can be a medium and use your talent, that's simply formidable. 

What do you like most about your job?

Creating magical moments. It can be during a rehearsal, in a concert with an audience, with a soloist –  these touching moments. That's what I like most about my profession. For me, it is inspiring when I notice how the audience, the orchestra and the sound merge. It is the connecting element that captivates me. It's wonderful to be able to catapult people into another world through music and thereby help them find themselves again. For me it was always more important: What is behind? – to leave a trace, to have an effect. That's why we try to create experiences – also for and with children. A mother once told me that she has been coming to the Children's Festival, of which I am the artistic director, for eight years. Then she was once at a concert at the Festspielhaus with her son and he said: "I didn't know that men could also conduct." It was then that I realised how wide my own sphere of activity can be. 

What do you like to conduct? Do you have a favourite composer and why?

My favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach. Whenever I hear Bach, play his music or conduct it, it does something to me. It has a special energy and brings me incredibly close to myself. I also really like Mozart – it gives me a sense of spiritual kinship. The child on the one hand and the profound soul on the other. Gustav Mahler is another of my favourite conductors. He was a crazy guy and such an extreme type with his nine and a half symphonies full of extremes. Many musicians find themselves in Gustav Mahler, also in the timbres – sometimes really bombastic, sometimes almost depressive – just like life itself. When you conduct a symphony by Mahler, you go through all the ups and downs. Like climbing a mountain peak. Or a birth. 

INSIDER TIPS

You are known for your work with children – at your children's festival for instance. Please tell us what makes working with children so special to you. 

In addition to the family concerts throughout the year, we organise the Children's Festival Week in the summer, a fortnight-long festival with concert productions for school classes and kindergartens. It's an incomparable energy when you get 800 children aged seven or twelve together and rap or sing with them. There are no minds more critical than those of children. To conceive and perform something for this group is a great challenge for me. But classical music has given me so much and what could be better than being able to pass that on to children? When children get to know instruments through this positive experience and the door to classical music opens, then that's just great. 

There are countless concerts, the choice in Salzburg is huge. What "introduction" do you recommend to people who don't (yet) have knowledge about classical music? 

We have a concert series called Samstag ins Konzert [Saturdays at the concert], which starts at 7.30 pm. These are light concerts with narration, where I talk about the background stories of the pieces. They take place in the auditorium of the university, it's casual and you don't have to get all dolled up. There's also a concert series on Sundays, always from 6 pm. I created these two concert series especially for people who are looking for an introduction to classical music and just want to have a nice evening. 

Where do you most like to relax in Salzburg?

On a night-time walk around the Leopoldskroner Weiher. I like to go out at night. When the moon is reflected in the pond and you can see the fortress in the background. It's almost magical.