He is retiring as self-described "stick waver" from the Las Vegas Philharmonic but not from Las Vegas cultural life. Music Director and Conductor Hal Weller, 63, who co-founded the Phil in 1998, announced this spring that he will leave the orchestra at the end of his contract in 2007. During his tenure with the Phil, Weller has grown the audience, tripled the budget and kept the arts organization in the black—no small feat for an upstart orchestra in a town where entertainment options abound. Still, the Phil operates within a $1.1 million annual budget—well below what its big counterparts in other cities thrive on, leaving its talented musicians to fare as part-timers and money concerns to remain central. The Weekly chatted with him about his, and the Phil's, future:
You came in here like Superman determined to save a city from musical culturelessness. Did you think it would be a hard sell to get Las Vegans interested in the orchestra?
No, no. You've pushed one of my buttons ... I would never berate or be condescending to an audience. I am an evangelist about this: I believe people without any knowledge of classical, or serious, music can respond and enjoy it if it's well and honestly performed. I've seen it happen many times ... We try to debunk and demystify the experience of the concert hall.
Well you've certainly had success. So why leave the Philharmonic now?
I think we're well on our way to fulfilling our goals—we're building a solid membership. But I don't want to see the Philharmonic plateau. We're in Vegas, where when things plateau, they get imploded ... I love Las Vegas, I love the energy, and I want to see the Philharmonic change along with it ... This way, people can come next season to see my final season; then the following season to see candidates (as guest conductors); and then a new conductor and a $200 million Performing Arts Center the following season.
Sounds like a good plan. But what will you do after retirement?
This is not really retirement for me, this is moving on. I really need unencumbered freedom, I need to be a holistic person. ... My identity does not stem from being music director. I'd like to stay here and be a part of the cultural revolution. I'd like to be Cultural Czar for Las Vegas. My identity does not stem from musical director. I want to try to get Las Vegas (arts) better connected. ... We're really all in this together.
How do you think a Downtown performing arts center will affect the city?
The whole area is going to explode! Bravo, Oscar Goodman! He's been playing that tune so long, but look at what's happening: sky-rises, the Fifth Street School, that whole area—it's a cultural destination.