By Jeff Walker
Features Editor
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David Mairs’ career-long goal has been to take the “phony” out of the symphony.
As the music director of the Seguin-based Mid-Texas Symphony, he’s been able to do just that.
“So many people think that symphony orchestra music is boring, or that it’s just for rich white folks, but it’s not,” Mairs said. “It’s not phony. It’s real. It’s vital to life and it has so much to say.”
Mairs is celebrating his 15th year as the group’s conductor, and as such the symphony has titled its 2010-11 season “Mairs Magic!” The recently-retired school teacher’s enthusiasm for the music he conducts carries over into everyday conversation; his passion for his symphony quickly explains the length of his tenure.
And Mairs, along with his 67-piece orchestra, have made quite a name for themselves.
“I’m just grateful and very honored and blessed to have a chance to be with this organization for 15 years. That’s sort of unheard of for conductors,” Mairs said. “They come and they go — your honeymoon doesn’t usually last more than a couple of years and then people start thinking of ways to ship you out.”
The Mid-Texas Symphony will kick off its 33rd season with a concert featuring pianist and Van Cliburn Silver Medalist Yeol Eum Son at 4 p.m. Sept. 12 at Jackson Auditorium, Seguin. Son, of South Korea, has performed in her home country with almost every notable orchestra, and has been a featured soloist with the New York Philharmonic on several occasions, most recently as part of the orchestra's historic visit to Seoul.
Mairs and his staff have nurtured a long-time relationship with the prestigious Van Cliburn organization for years, but this is the first time to feature someone of Son’s stature.
“She’s just a fabulous pianist, a beautiful young woman who is a rising star in the piano world,” Mairs said.
Other highlights of the season include the Romero Guitar Quartet — one of the most popular classical guitar groups in the world — in March 2011 and eclectic violinist Charles Yang in February 2011 in New Braunfels.
A native of Teaneck, NJ, Mairs’ father was a conductor and jazz performer. Mairs said he grew up not wanting to follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“My father, bless his heart, was a wonderful musician and conductor but he was among the old school, and hew as quite abusive verbally to kids and even professionals. Conductors at that time seemed to feel that they had a need to be tyrants, where the product was everything and you did everything necessary to get that,” Mairs said. “I didn’t want to be like my dad.”
So after high school he attended The University of Michigan to be a band director, only to decide later to pursue the ministry — which he did for several years.
“Part of the struggle was ‘am I gong to be like my father or not,’” Mairs said. “It’s not an all or nothing deal. It’s not black or white. As a musician I came to peace with the fact that I didn’t have to be exactly like him.”
Mairs set out to conduct in a way that musicians felt respected as artists and treated fairly. He also doesn’t like Prima-Donnas in his orchestra — those who come in with such an attitude don’t last long in the Mid-Texas Symphony, Mairs says.
“I made up my mind that even if I were to be a failure, it wasn’t worth treating people with less respect than I would have loved to have as a player,” Mairs said. “The stick I use doesn’t make any music, but I can help. So I can create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and respected and challenged, that’s my effort.”
The Vietnam War broke out while Mairs was still attending college in Michigan. Unsure what to do, he auditioned for several military bands, landing a gig as a horn player with the “Pershing’s Own” US Army Band in Washington D.C. The group played weekly concerts at the Capitol and marched in the Richard Nixon inauguration.
Performing with “Pershing’s Own” represented a great period of growth musically for Mairs.
“I can say I served my country for two years and three months and I didn’t have to kill anyone,” Mairs said.
Following his military service, Mairs was hired as the third horn in the San Antonio Symphony and then quickly hired by the Pittsburgh Symphony, known at the time as one of the top 10 groups in the nation.
In 1988, Mairs returned to San Antonio to serve as resident conductor until 1999. He has also taught music for 35 years, named Denton ISD’s 2010 Teacher of the Year.
But the players in the Mid-Texas Symphony have become like a second family to Mairs. And his greatest thrill as a conductor? Seeing people come to a show and suddenly realize that they like orchestra music, after all.
“We’re not just a musical organization. We’re a service organization to the community. I’d say with humbleness, humility and arrogance at the same time that we are absolutely convinced that the product we put out there is valuable to people in our community,” Mairs said. “And until they ship me out to the pastures, I want to keep improving the quality to make sure it’s absolutely first rate.”
