At the end of last spring semester, Michael Palumbo retired from his position as the director of orchestral studies and was replaced by Francisco de Galvez.
As the new director, de Galvez teaches several classes for strings majors and minors, but his focus is on working with students in the orchestra and the symphony.
De Galvez said coming to Weber State University was a little bit of a “coincidence.” At the time he was looking for a job, WSU was looking for an orchestra conductor. De Galvez also said part of his motivation for coming to WSU was his children, and his wife’s and his desire to give them a good education and lifestyle.
As an educator, de Galvez said he wants his students to not only play music, but also enjoy the music they hear and play.
“My main goal is to motivate students and to participate in a group like this,” de Galvez said. “Also, it’s to get students to enjoy the music and not to suffer too much. We have to suffer a little; we have to practice and such. But the final goal is to be able to enjoy the music a little more.”
Joel Dally, a senior, said he enjoys working with de Galvez and that the new professor has a way of connecting with his students and giving them what they need.
“I really like him. He’s got a way of inspiring people to want to be better,” Dally said. “He’s super optimistic, and he’s got a lot of experience in doing this, so everything he says you really want to listen to.”
Dally also said he enjoys the ease and relaxed attitude de Galvez brings to rehearsals. In comparison to Palumbo, who had very structured and planned-out rehearsals, Dally said de Galvez listens to his students and teaches accordingly. Dally said he enjoys both teaching styles, noting that although they are different, one isn’t better than the other.
“Palumbo had a lot of vision, but he was super structured in everything that he would do,” Dally said. “Dr. de Galvez just goes with the flow. He sees how people are doing before he plans things out. For us, it’s a lot of following and trusting that he knows what he’s doing. He believes in us a lot, which is really cool. From a broad sense, he’s a lot more relaxed and carefree, whereas Dr. Palumbo wanted to get things done. Both are good, just different.”
Marianne Asmus, a junior in string pedagogy, also said she has enjoyed working with de Galvez.
“I think he’s awesome,” Asmus said. “He’s very driven to help us appreciate music more. He has vast knowledge of the music. He’s pretty motivational. You can see his passion for the music, and he tries to bring the passion to the students so that we can appreciate it more.”
Asmus also noted that being in rehearsals with de Galvez is motivational. She said he knows when and how to help students connect with the music they are performing.
“When we do well in rehearsal, he lets us know, and that makes us feel good and more motivated,” Asmus said. “He makes us realize why we’re here.”
On Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m., de Galvez and his students in the WSU Symphony Orchestra will perform their fall concert in the Val A. Browning Center’s Austad Theater. The concert will include three pieces: a Mozart piano concerto featuring recent WSU graduate Fan-Ya Lin, Verdi’s “La Forca Del Destino,” and Beethoven’s seventh symphony.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.weberstatetickets.com as well as at the Browning Center main office. Tickets cost $6 for students and $7 for non-students.
