Edgewood’s Izcaray shines light on state’s ‘musical gem’

Since assuming the role of musical director for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Izcaray’s life has been anything but quiet. 

His third child was born, both he and his wife have undergone cancer treatments and he regularly flies across the country to lead a second orchestra. Through it all, Izcaray has worked hard to make sure the musical quality of Alabama’s only full-time orchestra doesn’t falter.

“Since 2014, I realized there is a musical gem here. This is one of the finest orchestras in the country, in my opinion, and they are able to perform at the highest level every single type of music,” said the Edgewood resident, now in the middle of his fourth season with the ASO.

Izcaray’s role with the ASO includes acting as its principal conductor and curating the programs and pieces the orchestra performs each season, from full concerts to small after-hours shows and youth programs. During their season from September to June, Izcaray said, the orchestra performs in multiple venues every week.

“I’m able to share not just great music, but great music that is able to tell a story,” he said.

In addition to planning and conducting the ASO season, Izcaray can also frequently be found on the opposite coast, conducting the American Youth Symphony, composed of elite high school and college musicians preparing for professional careers.

“That is a different monster, and I love it because I get to work with the top, top talent,” he said.

Izcaray’s life has always included music, as his father was a conductor and his mother was an artistic director. Several other members of his family, including his grandfather, were musicians or in theater. 

In his childhood in Venezuela, Izcaray said it was never pre-determined that his career would also be musically inclined — though he did “conduct” his first concert as a toddler by waving his arms around on stage next to his father.

“It was sort of the bread and butter of my household,” he said.

Izcaray said he learned to play the cello as a kid while also exploring sports and other career paths. He was in his late teens when he decided to follow his family’s path.

“Obviously once I decided, my parents were very, very supportive of that,” he said.

His first ambition was to be a full-time musician, but at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, Izcaray also explored his interest in conducting. After a few professional conducting opportunities, Izcaray said he had to decide whether to commit to the path of either musician or conductor.

Izcaray has since conducted orchestras and operas in South America, Europe, Asia and the U.S., including at the Aspen Music Festival, Toscanini International Conducting Competition and his big break in the U.S.: conducting for St. Louis’ opera and symphony orchestra. 

One of the audience members at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was also part of the search committee looking for the ASO’s new music director. The ASO invited Izcaray to guest conduct in 2014, leading to his role as musical director.

As a consequence of his job, Izcaray said he has “an international family.” He and his wife, Yolanda, met in Venezuela, though she was born in the United Kingdom. They have lived in four countries together, and each of their children was born in a different place: 8-year-old Sofia in Argentina; 6-year-old Alicia in Germany; and 2-year-old Sebastian here in Alabama, only a couple months after being hired by the ASO.

“We carry a lot of passports when we travel,” Carlos Izcaray said.

Moving to Homewood with his wife seven months pregnant was “quite a ride,” Izcaray said, but it was also a way to connect with their new neighbors and his new musical colleagues. 

Izcaray said he still has friends and orchestra attendees who ask questions about Sebastian and want to see pictures as he grows up.

“It added an extra layer of excitement both for us and also for folks here,” Izcaray said.

The family’s life took an unexpected turn in January 2017, when Carlos Izcaray was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the middle of his second season with the ASO. He continued conducting throughout treatment after his doctors gave him the “green light” to stay active.

“I used to joke around to my guest artists and friends who would visit, ‘Oh, if you’re going to get sick, this is the place to be because of the medical community, etc.’ Lo and behold, it happened to me,” he said.

He said he felt better when he was active and working than when he had time to sit still and think about his illness. Izcaray said he was grateful that the members of the orchestra didn’t treat him different throughout his chemotherapy.

“I could not have felt more supported both by the community, … but also by the symphony. … They were with me through the whole thing,” he said. “When I was making music and being challenged, it was great.”

Right as Izcaray was wrapping up his own cancer treatments in mid-2017, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was not the kind of relay one likes to be playing. I went from being taken care of to being the caregiver now,” Izcaray said.

While she is still undergoing treatment, Izcaray said they have worked to provide as normal of an environment as they can for their three kids. He described his wife as a “warrior” and an “exemplary mother.”

“With these hurdles, I mean at the end you can’t do anything, just kind of move on and you have to do the best you can,” Izcaray said. “You adjust, and we have adjusted.”

Despite his conducting opportunities around the world, Izcaray said some of his favorite performances have been here in Birmingham. Having a familiar orchestra and control over their musical programs have led to more skilled performances that have had personal significance for him.

“Because of the quality of the ensemble, … I am able to do a lot of concerts that I am excited about,” Izcaray said. “A lot of the concerts that move me the most have been here.”

He also relishes the chance to work with young musicians, both through the ASO’s youth program and with the American Youth Symphony, where he hopes to provide the mentorship he had growing up. His own daughters play cello and violin as well, though he said they haven’t quite gotten Sebastian started with an instrument yet.

In his office at the ASO, Izcaray has a board covered with ideas and goals for the future, from individual pieces to programs centered on underrepresented minority conductors. He wants to reach 100,000 kids through ASO youth programs and plan performances for the state’s bicentennial and the ASO’s 100th anniversary in 2021. His contract was just extended through the 2022-23 season, giving him more time to reach these goals.

This season, Izcaray said he is particularly excited to perform all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies between January and June.

“That’s a new marathon for me,” he said.

He also noted a new Unwined series the ASO began this fall, offering professionals the chance to listen to a short concert and learn about the music over a glass of wine after work. Developing the ASO’s seasons is about bringing together “things that people want to listen to and things that musicians want to play,” Izcaray said.

The full calendar for the ASO’s 2018-19 season can be found atalabamasymphony.org/events.