Chamber music man anchored in Las Vegas

RICHARD BRIAN / SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Rodolfo Fernandez had little conducting experience when he formed the Nevada Chamber Symphony in 1984, but the nonprofit group has lasted 25 years.

By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Name: Rodolfo Fernandez, founder and conductor of the Nevada Chamber Symphony

Age: 78

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance, University of Santiago (Chile).

Career: Born in Valdivia, Chile, Fernandez grew up listening to classical music on the radio and Victrola. He started playing cello at age 10 and knew by high school it would be his career.

In 1961 he received an international grant and left Chile with a suitcase and his cello. He never returned, preferring instead to live in the United States, where he performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Symphony, Miami Opera Company, Louisiana Symphony, and Tampa (Fla.) Philharmonic.

He toured nationally and internationally with various orchestras, then took a teaching job at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, before moving to Las Vegas.

Starting out: Instrument selection is often random with musicians. Fernandez was attending a Catholic school when the priest asked who wanted to play an instrument and Rodolfo raised his hand. When asked what he’d like to play, he responded, “Whatever you have, Father.” He started private cello lessons with a school pianist. Shortly after, his parents found him a cello teacher.

Getting to Vegas: Fernandez was looking for a career with more musical variety when a friend suggested Las Vegas, where the music scene on the Strip was thriving. He arrived in 1976 and worked in showroom orchestras and in community ensembles.

“In those years there was a lot more chamber music, much more than today. Sometimes on Sundays you could find three or four groups playing libraries and centers. Today we don’t have that. The economy is bad and the (musicians) strike was a tremendous loss. There aren’t as many musicians in town.”

Picking up the baton: Among his music gigs, he was a member of the Serenata Cello Trio, which toured Nevada, and played a couple of times with the Nevada Symphony Orchestra, which preceded the Las Vegas Philharmonic. But he had a dream to conduct. With very little conducting experience, but a large library of music, he formed the Nevada Chamber Symphony in 1984, set his cello down and became a conductor. He also founded and leads the Lompoc Pops Orchestra in California.

Nevada Chamber Symphony: Fernandez had no idea the Nevada Chamber Symphony would last more than two decades. “We just went from concert to concert without planning,” he says. “We always wanted to have another concert, but we didn’t know when, where or the means to pay.”

The pickup group of on-call musicians carried on, eventually putting on full seasons. Most of its musicians have been with the group since the early days. Many perform in the Las Vegas Philharmonic. With a mission to serve the public, the professional, nonprofit group presents a variety of classical music, standards and Broadway selections arranged by Fernandez.

Orchestra size varies from concert to concert depending on the budget. Rehearsals often take place the day of the concert and the group does not advertise except by word-of-mouth. The audience is as much a family as the orchestra members, Fernandez says.

Retiring? “Every year when things start getting difficult, I say, ‘This is going to be the last year,’ but then I get inspired and think, ‘Why not go one more year?’ ”

Las Vegas’ classical scene: “I think we could have a little more music. There are other cities of the same size that have much more activity.”

Other interests: Writing music, arranging music. “Musicians always have plenty to do.” Once in a while, he practices: “My cello is a friend sitting in the corner. Sometimes I pick it up.”

Sticking around? “Year after year you say, ‘Maybe I can go to another place.’ Two years later you find yourself still in the same place. Four years later you think, ‘I should maybe move.’ Then you start buying and acquiring things. You drop anchor. You become connected to the community. Once you drop anchor, it’s very hard to move away from that anchor.”