sa国际传媒官网网页入口

When the sa国际传媒官网网页入口-based conductor, Maxine Th茅venot, arrives at Carnegie Hall this month, she鈥檒l be packing two batons.

鈥淭hey were both handcrafted here in New Mexico by a gentleman named Hovey Corbin, who鈥檚 a fellow colleague and a wonderful musician,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥溾�� I chose this red one because I thought it might go nicely with Carnegie Hall.鈥�

Th茅venot is familiar with the red velvet chairs and red carpets of the hallowed Manhattan venue, having performed there many times as an organist for college graduation ceremonies. But Sunday, June 28, will mark her Carnegie Hall debut as a conductor.

鈥淧eople who know me well, and a lot of my choristers, (know that) I don鈥檛 often conduct with a baton. I find it can get in the way sometimes of what I want to communicate, and I can better communicate with my fingertips,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 a question, whether or not I鈥檒l actually use these.鈥�

Th茅venot will lead a 65-member orchestra and a chorus of 213 in a performance of 20th-century French composer Maurice Durufl茅鈥檚 Requiem, opus 9.

鈥淭he task ahead of me in a few very short weeks is to put together the choir and make them an ensemble,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥淟uckily for me, the orchestra that I鈥檒l have in front of me is an orchestra that plays together a lot, the New England Chamber Ensemble. Although I don鈥檛 know them, I suspect they鈥檒l be very good, and that they鈥檒l be able to adapt to my requests and needs really easily.鈥�

The 213-member chorus is the largest Th茅venot has ever conducted. Around 50 or 60 of them are coming from New Mexico, she said, including about 40 high school-aged students, some of whom she has worked with previously. Others are coming from all over the U.S.

鈥淚n two rehearsals, I have to put 213 people鈥檚 minds and hearts together. Then, in one rehearsal, I have to put them together with the orchestra,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a lot of time for a 40-minute piece.鈥�

In sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Th茅venot serves as the organist and director of cathedral music at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John. She is also the founding director of Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, the state鈥檚 first professional resident vocal ensemble.

Th茅venot said she fell in love with Durufl茅鈥檚 music at a young age.

鈥淗is harmonic language is just beautiful. It鈥檚 all based on Gregorian chant, and I love Gregorian chant,鈥� she said. 鈥淗is music is just literally perfect.鈥�

In the 1990s, while backpacking across France, Th茅venot made a special trip to Saint-脡tienne-du-Mont, the Parisian cathedral where Durufl茅 served as the organist and music director from 1929 until his death in 1986.

鈥淚 got there just before noonday Mass. It鈥檚 the 鈥�90s, so I鈥檓 wearing ripped jeans, and I鈥檝e got this massive backpack on,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥溾�� I end up sitting next to this elderly lady, and she鈥檚 looking at me in that (judgmental) way. She鈥檚 very well dressed, like an older Parisian woman would be.鈥�

Despite the chilly reception, Th茅venot said she began jabbering to the woman in broken French about how excited she was to be in Durufl茅鈥檚 church.

鈥淎s I鈥檓 telling her all this, in my hindbrain, there鈥檚 something that goes, 鈥極h my God, I鈥檓 talking to Maurice Durufl茅鈥檚 widow!鈥欌�� Th茅venot said.

Madame Durufl茅 did not warm up to her. Nevertheless, Th茅venot left feeling inspired by the chance encounter and even more connected to her beloved composer.

Now, three decades later, Th茅venot feels honored to be conducting Durufl茅鈥檚 Requiem at Carnegie Hall.

鈥淕rowing up as a French Roman Catholic, it is deeply meaningful for me to be doing this kind of music at this point in my musical career,鈥� she said.

She believes sacred music, such as Durufl茅鈥檚, can bring about spiritual experiences that go beyond words.

鈥淚 think for me, as an interpreter of music, my job is to elevate the listener to a place where they feel transported 鈥� where they feel like they are just so close to that thin veil between them and their God, or between them and that thing that is considered sacred,鈥� Th茅venot said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I strive for all the time, to try to transport people 鈥� and move them.鈥�

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .